Gorbachev copyrights his own name

Mr Gorbachev is still a familiar face to millions

Mikhail Gorbachev has taken out copyright on his own name in a bid to stop his image being exploited.

Henceforth "Gorbachev" and "Gorby" will be brand names, an aide to the former Soviet president revealed.

Mr Gorbachev acted after a Russian vodka producer used his portrait on bottles, playing on the alcohol prohibition he oversaw in the 1980s.

Since his fall from power in 1991, "Gorby" has allowed his image to be used to sell pizzas and computers.

But his aide, Vladimir Polyakov, stressed that proceeds from the Pizza Hut and Apple campaigns had gone into charities such as the Green Cross environmental group and the premises of the Gorbachev Foundation.

In future, Mr Polyakov told AFP news agency, Mr Gorbachev's name would only be used in relation to "honourable products" and legal action would be taken if it was abused.

Apart from the vodka case, he added, Mr Gorbachev's name or image has been used without authorisation to sell construction materials in the United States and noodles in Japan.