‘Parmesan’ is translation of ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’, High Court rules in cheese dispute writes the Straits Times
SINGAPORE – The High Court has ruled that “parmesan” is a translation of the Italian term “Parmigiano Reggiano”, the name of a hard, grainy cheese made from the milk of cows that graze in a specific part of northern Italy.
Intellectual property (IP) lawyers interviewed by The Straits Times say that while there is no immediate impact on traders, the implication of the court decision is that the word “parmesan” should be used only for cheese originating from the particular region in Italy.
The decision comes in a dispute between New Zealand-based dairy company Fonterra Cooperative Group – which markets “traditional style parmesan” under the Perfect Italiano brand – and a consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano producers set up in Italy in 1934.
Parmigiano Reggiano is named after the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia, where the cheese has been made since the 13th century. The name is legally protected in the European Union and can be used only for cheese produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the river Reno, and Mantua to the right of the river Po.
The case centres on “Parmigiano Reggiano” as a geographical indication (GI), a type of IP that identifies a product as having originated from a particular place that has given the item its unique qualities or characteristics.
In June 2019, the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano consortium succeeded in registering “Parmigiano Reggiano” as a GI in Singapore.
In September 2019, Fonterra filed a request with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore to clarify that the legal protection does not extend to the term “parmesan”.
