Our intellectual property team is very pleased to have assisted the SYNDICAT INTERPROFESSIONNEL DE DEFENSE DU FROMAGE MORBIER in the final stage of this legal saga, which has just been concluded by the judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal on November 18, 2022 (RG n°21/16539), thus clarifying the scope of the protection conferred by the PDO.
It is now recognized that the PDO does not only protect the registered name, but also the distinctive visual characteristic of the product covered by the PDO.
The producers of Morbier PDO cheeses are entitled to oppose the marketing of cheeses reproducing the dark, central and horizontal line, characteristic of the Morbier PDO, since this reproduction is likely to mislead the consumer.
Our entire team is very satisfied with this decision, which encourages all PDO sectors to defend their rights.
