The Supreme Court in Belarus has barred a Polish company from using the name Belsat TV in a ruling the broadcaster called "another attack on independent media" in the former Soviet republic.
The court ruled on September 4 that Poland’s Telewizja Polska S.A. cannot use the name Belsat TV for its Belarusian-language broadcast and on-line programs.
The court said such use violates the rights of a Belarusian satellite and cable TV equipment company called BELSATplus.
Belsat TV is popular in Belarus, where most media outlets are under state control.
In a statement on its website, Belsat TV said its trademark does not fall under Belarusian jurisdiction as it is registered in Poland and operates from that country.
Rights advocates say President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government has restricted independent media as part of efforts to suppress dissent during his 20-year rule.
