The Consortium representing the PDO secured the registration of the denomination PROSECCO as a collective trademark in China (the certification and collective trademark system is one the 3 options available in China to protect GIs. On this see the oriGIn publication of protecting GIs in the BRICs.
Following the application by the Consorzio back in 2014, the Australian wine producers’ organization “Australian Grape and Wine Inc.” had made an opposition. In its decision, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) rejected the opposition, stating that “PROSECCO” – being a geographical indication – is capable of performing the function of a collective trademark to distinguish the origin of goods.
This is a crucial achievement for the Consorzio, which was made possible thanks to the collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the European Commission, which actively participating in all phases of the registration. The result is relevant also in light of the importance of the Chinese market for Prosecco as well as the fact that the PDO is included in the second list of the bilateral agreement between China and the EU, so its protection in China via the Agreement will be effective in three years.
The international dimension of GIs protection is one of the main objectives of our Consorzio, given the raising number of counterfeiting, infringement and evocation cases, including the attempt by Australian producers to penetrate the wine market benefiting from the reputation created over the years by the legitimate Italian Prosecco producers.
