June 8 2004, 12:16 UNIAN

Business court banned to use brand "Taya" for a pasta product

The Kiev Business Court has decided to ban the company Ukrainskie Macaroni Ltd to use the brand mark "Taya" for one of its products. A spokesman for Konnov & Sozanovsky lawyer's office, which represents the Ukrainian pop star Taisiya Povaliy, whose stage name is pronounced as Taya, said that a suit had been brought against the company on its alleged abuse of her scenic pseudonym in the brand name of its pasta product. The court's decision of May 28 this year was grounded on the fact that the name Taya had been already well-known in Ukraine from concert performances, CD- and audio cassettes-records and other artistic activities of Ms. Povaliy, when the company applied for registration of the brand name.

The spokesman for the lawyer's office did not say whether a counter-appellation had been brought by the company against the court's decision.

Ms. Povaliy put in a claim to the court on March 26 this year.

The Kiev-based Konnov & Sozanovsky lawyer's office was established in 1992 and since then has been one of the leading juridical firms of Ukraine with its branches in Kiev, Moscow and Chernovtsy. The company is ranked within the top ten Ukrainian juridical firms.