SHANGHAI: French food and dairy giant Danone Groupe SA and its Chinese partner Wahaha Group have started arbitration in Stockholm to decide the ownership of the well-known Wahaha brand.

The hearing, launched by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, is likely to close a 20-month legal wrangle concerning control of the trademark, which is used on bottled water, juices and tea.

A spokesman for Danone said the arbitration was launched on Monday, but unsettled lawsuits remain between the once-model business partners in different courts.