Vimpelcom to operate in Armenia with beeline brand
YEREVAN, March 7. /ARKA/. The principal task of the VimpelCom public
corporation in Armenia is rebranding and ArmenTel Company’s operation
in conformity with the universal standards of the group of companies.
`We are sure that we have the full right to operate with our brand in
Armenia and we are happy that we have legal grounds to connect the
country to the BeeLine area,’ stated Executive Vice-President for
Business Development in the CIS Dmitry Pleskonos.
The company had this opportunity after February 25, when the RA
Intellectual Property Agency decided to register a license agreement
between VimpelCom and ArmenTel (the latter being the VimpelCom’s
daughter company in Armenia) on the transfer of right to the use of the
Beeline brand.
The Agency also registered the slogan `Live on the bright side!’ to be
used in Armenia. It means that from this date ArmenTel can use the
brand on a legal ground.
This January the RA Court of Cassation confirmed the application of
international registration of the Beeline brand to communication
services in Armenia. Immediately after the verdict was returned,
VimpelCom initiated a procedure of registration of the transfer of
right to the use of its brand to the ArmenTel Company in Armenia.
Under the license agreement, ArmenTel is to pay to the parent company
100,000 RUR as one-time consideration for a license for the use of
brands in Armenia during the entire period the registration of the
brands is in effect.
VimpelCom’s promotion plans for the Beeline brand in Armenia were
hindered by a conflict with an Armenian company specializing in
software development, assembly and sale of computer. The company’s
brand Bi Line sounds similar to Beeline (in Armenia and Russian).
The management of the Russian company considers the situation
artificially complicated ` ArmenTel has no intention to sell computers,
and Bi Line does not plan to enter the telecommunications market.
The RA Administrative Court is currently considering a claim lodged by
the Armenian Bi Line IT-company against the Intellectual Property
Agency. The claimant demands the invalidation of the Agency’s decision
on the abeyance of the Bi Line brand.
ArmenTel holds a monopoly of stationary telephone communication in
Armenia. The company is also one of the mobile communication operators
in Armenia. In April 2007, VimpelCom (Russia) became full owner of
ArmenTel.
The Vimpel Com Group comprises communication operators from Russia,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Armenia.
VimpelCom’s licenses for GSM and 3G communication services are in
effect in a territory with an approximate population of 250mln people.
VimpelCom was the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, its shares being symbolized as VIP. `0–