Kommersant: Coca-Cola challenged the use of the name Fantola in Russia 
Coca-Cola decided to sue a competitor in the Russian market, Aqualife, which produces carbonated drinks under the Fantola brand, writes Kommersant. The American corporation has claims to use a name similar to the Fanta trademark.
Coca-Cola's claim has been filed with the Rospatent Chamber of Patent Disputes. The company claims that the name Fantola, registered in Russia in 2019, is confusingly similar to Fanta. The Fanta trademark, in turn, has been protected by law since 1966.
The experts interviewed by the publication believe that the trial will be protracted, since we are talking about a brand already registered in Russia. At the same time, lawyers note, Coca-Cola has a fairly high chance of winning the final victory and removing the legal protection from the Fantola trademark.
In many countries, including the European Union, there are precedents for the use of names similar to the world famous brands. More often than others, such methods are resorted to by retailers that produce goods under their own brand. They often use the word cola in their names. In Russia, this word is recognized as commonly used, as a result of which patent claims cannot apply to it.
In addition to Fantola, Aqualife produces drinks under the Drinks from Chernogolovka brand, which account for 4.6 percent of the Russian market. Coca-Cola has a share of 19.2 percent.