Are you a Swiss cheese lover? Then watch out because, according to a latest US district court decision, your Gruyère may not come from Gruyères after all! Read more about the attempt to protect the term "Gruyère" as a geographical certification mark in the US and the legal situation in Switzerland in this insight article.
A US district court recently concluded that the term "Gruyère" is understood by cheese purchasers in the US to be generic in that it refers to a type of cheese without regard to where that cheese is produced. The term "Gruyère" was thus refused protection as a geographic certification mark and, in contrast to the situation in Switzerland or the EU, cheese from other geographical areas may also be called "Gruyère". However, this may not be the end of the matter. The decision may still be reversed on appeal.
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