Svarovsky is not a dyslexic misspelling of Swarovski, the world-renowned diamond maker, but the cunning brand name of a Turkish vodka producer eyeing a share in the Russian market despite a growing legal dispute.
AllCo, a local producer of alcoholic drinks in the western province of Manisa, recently launched a new brand of vodka named Svarovsky. But the new brand’s name similarity to that of the world-renowned diamond maker Swarowski and the inclusion of a diamond-like symbol over the drink’s logo has reportedly troubled the Austrian headquarters of Swarovski.
The diamond maker has filed a court case against the Turkish firm for having imitated its symbols, daily Radikal reported Oct. 20.
“AllCo has chosen this brand name to cajole Russians, as the latter love shining, brilliant things,” Swarovski’s Elements Turkey Manager Sencer Beren said.
Beren was also cited saying that they had first warned AllCo verbally. “AllCo did not consider our warnings. We realized they do not have good intentions. They are trying to steal a role from our market power,” he said, according to the same report.
AllCo denies everything
Meanwhile, AllCo has denied all the claims. “There is no such a court case. Nor have we received any verbal warning,” AllCo Executive Board Chairman Erol Sezer told the Hürriyet Daily News in an interview in Istanbul on Oct. 21.
AllCo has registered its vodka brand at the Turkish Patent Institute and has also applied for an international Patent, he added.
“Our products are totally different [from those of Swarovski]. Moreover, our logo does not contain a diamond but [the symbol of] a shining world,” Sezer said.
AllCo has invested $10 million together with a Russian partner to produce the Svarovsky vodka. The firm already started sales across Turkey three weeks ago and is planning to start exporting to Russia and Germany in November.
“We have a contract to export 80,000 tons of vodka to Russia in three months and 60,000 tons to Germany. We will start exporting to France next year,” Sezer said.
Hürriyet Daily News