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CCFN Around the World

CCFN recently engaged with the U.S. Congress and Administration in relation to House and Senate hearings that included the topic of GIs. In those hearings, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer touted the GI elements within the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

In China, CCFN filed comments regarding the GI Foreign Product Protection Measure to stress that China must safeguard common names as new GIs are registered. We also filed supplementary arguments in ongoing efforts to oppose trademarks that would include “cheddar” and “emmental”, as well as oppositions against two trademark applications that would impact use of the term “bologna”.

In Vietnam, as a result of CCFN’s work in challenging local trademark applications, disclaimers were included in the filing so that the generic terms “cheddar” and “mozzarella” will not be monopolized.

In Taiwan-Hong Kong: CCFN worked through the International Trademark Association (INTA) to submit comments to inform the dialogue regarding GIs in a Taiwan-Hong Kong free trade agreement with EU.

In Latin America CCFN is conducting ongoing legal efforts to safeguard such terms as parmesan, cheddar, edam, asiago and gorgonzola by opposing overly broad trademark applications, as well as Italian industry groups and EU efforts to confiscate terms through a nation’s trademark system.

In Australia, New Zealand, Russia and South Africa, CCFN has worked this year to safeguard asiago, gorgonzola, provolone, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, feta and other generic cheese names by filing oppositions to trademark applications, collaborating on submissions as part of that nation’s trade negotiations with the EU, or requesting disclaimers to trademark applications so that the generic terms are preserved.

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