UPDATE: Russia’s Svyaznoy sues MTS over trademark infringement

(Adds comments from MTS in second–fifth paragraphs)

MOSCOW, Dec 29 (PRIME) -- Cyprus-based Trellas Enterprises Ltd., the head company of Russian group Svyaznoy, has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover 77.654 billion ruble compensation from mobile operator MTS for a Svyaznoy trademark infringement, according to MTS’s documents seen by PRIME on Tuesday.

MTS is studying the lawsuit, the operator’s press secretary Dmitry Solodovnikov said, adding that the trademark was used on the instruction of the retailer itself.

“We are extremely surprised that Trellas Enterprises Ltd. claims about a discord in the use of the Svyaznoy Mobile trademark within the joint project of MTS and its unit, Svyaznoy Logistics,” Solodovnikov said.

“The trademark was exploited on the order of Svyaznoy itself; the company received profit under sharing of incomes from new subscribers. A corresponding agreement was concluded between the participants of the project.”

Trellas Enterprises Ltd. could not be unaware, and the claim could prove an artificial nature of the lawsuit and the fact of the parent company and the unit being in cahoots, Solodovnikov said.

The Svyaznoy group, which is now controlled by Oleg Malis, includes one of Russia’s biggest handset retailers.

(70.7865 rubles – U.S. $1)

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