Ruukki Group Oyj - Company Announcement

RUUKKI GROUP: RAUTARUUKKI DOES NOT HOLD SOLE RIGHTS TO THE NAME RUUKKI

Ruukki Group Plc, Stock Exchange Release, 15 June 2010 at 08:45 a.m.            

RUUKKI GROUP: RAUTARUUKKI DOES NOT HOLD SOLE RIGHTS TO THE NAME RUUKKI          
                                                                                
Ruukki Group Plc will hold today a press conference of that it has denied all   
Rautaruukki's demands in Helsinki District Court regarding the use of the name  
Ruukki and that it has filed counterclaims to invalidate Rautaruukki's          
registrations of the trademark Ruukki. Ruukki Group finds Rautaruukki's claims  
of sole ownership of the name Ruukki unacceptable.                              
                                                                                
In December 2009, Rautaruukki filed a legal action in Helsinki District Court to
prohibit Ruukki Group using the name Ruukki in its business activities.         
Simultaneously, Rautaruukki demanded a EUR 17 million compensation from Ruukki  
Group for claimed misuse of the name Ruukki.                                    
                                                                                
”Rautaruukki's claims have no base in jurisdiction or reality. The Court of     
Appeal of Helsinki has already decided in 2007 that both companies may use the  
name Ruukki in their own business. We have honored this decision, whilst        
Rautaruukki decided to start an uncalled fight for the name. We have both       
historical and legal rights to the name and we are proud of our Ruukki-name and 
our Finnish heritage,” says Ruukki Group's CEO Alwyn Smit.                      
                                                                                
Ruukki Group originally started its operations in the historic municipality of  
Ruukki, which is located in the current day municipality of Siikajoki. The     
company first started to use the short form Ruukki to describe itself already in
1993 when Ruukin Eristeteollisuus Oy started its operations. Rautaruukki only   
started using the shortened version of its name to describe the entire company  
in 2004, when Ruukki Group had used the same name for over a decade.            
                                                                                
”Ruukki Group insists that Rautaruukki's registering of the name Ruukki as a    
trademark is withdrawn in both Finland and globally,” Alwyn Smit underlines.    
                                                                                
Ruukki Group has denied all Rautaruukki claims in Finland, Switzerland, Russia  
and South-Africa, in addition to commencing necessary defense operation in 29   
other countries.                                                                

RUUKKI GROUP PLC                                                                

Alwyn Smit                                                                      
Chief Executive Officer                                                         

Ruukki Group is an industrial group focusing on minerals and wood processing    
businesses. Ruukki Group Plc's shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki and     
traded in the mid cap segment, in the industrials sector.                       

For additional information, please contact:                                     

Alwyn Smit                                                                      
Chief Executive Officer                                                         
Ruukki Group Plc                                                                
Telephone +41 7960 19094                                                        
www.ruukkigroup.fi                                                              

This stock exchange release is released in Finnish and in English. In case of   
any discrepancies, inconsistencies or inaccuracies, the Finnish version of the  
release shall prevail.