MOSCOW, February 20 - RAPSI. A commercial court affirmed the dismissal of the defamation lawsuit filed by a major dairy plant against the MAXIM magazine, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Monday.

A court of appeals dismissed Ostankino Dairy Plant's lawsuit in November. The plaintiff sought to declare information published in the magazine defamatory. The appellate court then revoked the lower court decision which earlier held for Ostankino. The Moscow District Federal Commercial Court dismissed the suit again on Monday and upheld the appellate court's judgment.

Ostankino sued AFS' publisher and its editor-in-chief Alexander Malenkov in relation to a cartoon published in MAXIM's December 2010 issue.

The plaintiff said the cartoon undermines the image of the plant and may be negatively associated with its products.

The publisher's lawyer told the lower court that the cartoon is nothing more than a joke and readers know by default that the information is false.

Established over 50 years ago, the Ostankino Dairy Plant is Russia's major dairy producer offering over 100 dairy products.