A US court of appeals confirmed on Friday that the term gruyère is a common label for cheese and can’t be reserved for a type from a specific region, namely in Switzerland or France, on the US market.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
A consortium of Swiss and French cheesemakers from the region around the town of Gruyères in western Switzerland had tried to register the term gruyère in the US as a certified brand. But after being denied an application for trademark protection, they filed a complaint in the state of Virginia, losing in the first instance in early 2022.
On Friday, the Virginia-based US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the decision, arguing that the US doesn’t have the same protections as in Europe on the name of food products.
“Cheese – regardless of its location of production – has been labeled and sold as gruyere in America for decades,” the courtExternal link said. This concerns cheese produced in Wisconsin or as far away as the Netherlands, Germany or Austria, they added.
The decision was welcomed by several players in the US dairy sector, including the Federation of American Dairy Producers, who said that they hope the ruling will encourage the French and Swiss professional federations to “stop trying to expropriate a common name from food” by registering a trademark.
The Swiss and French federations were, however, “disappointed”, according to their lawyer. “We think the actual situation in the US market is different than as stated by the Court of Appeals, and we will continue to pursue vigorously our efforts to protect the certification mark for the high-quality Gruyere AOP (P.D.O protected designation of origin) product in the US,” said attorney Richard Lehv in a message sent to Agence France-Presse.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Swiss university graduates are popular hires worldwide
This content was published on
Graduates of Swiss universities are popular with international employers, according to the Global Employability University Rankings.
French cross-border workers in Switzerland fear ‘discriminatory’ unemployment reform
This content was published on
In the French region around Geneva, cross-border workers are protesting proposals to cut unemployment benefits for those working in Switzerland.
Swan infected with bird flu in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland has reported its first bird flu case of the season. A swan found dead in central Switzerland tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Swiss researchers identify gene variants linked to cancer progression
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers explored genetic mutations’ effects on cell function and their role in cancer development and treatment using CRISPR/Cas techniques.
Explosion at Swiss company Givaudan’s US plant leaves two dead
This content was published on
Swiss flavour and fragrance maker Givaudan reported that an explosion at its Kentucky plant resulted in two deaths and several injuries.
This content was published on
A court in the US has ruled that cheese does not have to come from the Gruyère region of Switzerland to be sold under this name.
This content was published on
Until the Second World War fondue was little known in Switzerland. A a marketing campaign turned it into a national dish.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.