The phrase Zo, nu eerst… (So, first …) is not protected by copyright and cannot be claimed by any one company, appeal court judges in The Hague said on Tuesday.

Brewing company Bavaria had been attempting to stop web hosting firm Yourhosting using the catch phrase Zo, nu eerst naar de cloud, arguing it was too similar to its own slogan Zo, nu eerst een Bavaria.

Bavaria won the case in the lower court but Yourhosting appealed against that ruling.

Bavaria started using the slogan in 1985 and has registered it as a trademark.