The latest post in our series previewing this year’s Annual Conference looks at a workshop on recent GI cases

The CJEU “Champagner Sorbet” decision brought the topic of ingredient branding on to the agenda of trade mark owners and users. Ingredients are often used to certify certain qualities of products. At the same time, this certification function of trade marks has also been addressed in brand new case law.

This workshop will present and discuss the complex issues raised by these cases and consider if and how jurisprudence from the food industry is also affecting other industries.

The workshop will include a discussion of other recent decisions concerning the relationships between trade marks and geographical indications, and will be followed by a tasting of GI protected products from France.

Among the cases that will be covered are:

• CJEU C-393-16, 20.12.2017 – Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne v ALDI;
• CJEU C-56/16, 14.9.2017 – Instituto dos Vinhos de Douro e do Porto v EUIPO;
• CJEU C-689/15, 8.6.2017 – W.F. Gözze Forttierweberei Gmbh v Verein Bremer Baumwollbörse;
• CJEU C-614/17 (pending) - Fundación Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida Queso Manchego v Industrial Quesera Cuquerella S.L., Juan Ramón Cuquerella Montague;
• CJEU C-44/17 - The Scotch Whisky Association v Michael Klotz;
• 15/24810 Paris Court of Appeal, 22.9.2017 – France and Atout France v France.com Inc; and
• B-850/2016 Swiss Federal Administrative Court, 9.2.2018 – Switzerland v Montres Charmex

These address issues including ingredients, GIs versus trade marks; the certification function of marks, evocation of a GI, country names and double identity involving official names.

The cases will be presented by members of the MARQUES GI Team and the workshop will be moderated by Jürg Simon.