Search a title or topic

Over 20 million podcasts, powered by 

Player FM logo
Artwork

Content provided by Leticia Caminero. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leticia Caminero or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!

Pairs Well With Fame, Fraud, and a Hint of Lawsuit

14:49
 
Share
 

Manage episode 479717698 series 2806786
Content provided by Leticia Caminero. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leticia Caminero or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

A bottle of wine carries more than fermented grapes. It embodies intellectual property worth billions in global markets. From the tapas bars of Barcelona to the vineyards of Australia, wine names spark international incidents with real-world consequences.
When a small Spanish bar named "Champanillo" (little champagne) faced the wrath of the powerful Comité Champagne, it revealed how geographical indications function like luxury brand protections. No actual champagne was sold, yet the European Court of Justice ruled the mere evocation of champagne's prestige violated EU law. Similarly, Belgian customs officials destroyed thousands of Miller High Life beer cans for daring to call themselves "The Champagne of Beers" despite using the slogan for over 120 years.
These battles extend beyond Europe's borders. Croatian winemakers watched helplessly as their traditional Prošek dessert wine, despite being nothing like sparkling Prosecco, was blocked from registration after Italian opposition. Meanwhile, Australia and the EU reached a trade negotiation impasse over whether "Prosecco" refers to a grape variety (as Australians argue) or a protected place name (as Europeans insist). The dispute demonstrates how a single wine term can become geopolitical leverage worth potentially billions in trade.
Luxury producers fight equally fierce battles, with Château Petrus winning a €1.2 million judgment against a cheaper wine called "Petrus Lambertini," while even Prince's estate successfully challenged an Ohio winery's "Purple Rain" wine. Counterfeiters face serious consequences too, fake Lafite bottles distributed through nearly 2,000 supermarkets resulted in an $11 million judgment, while Europol's "Operation Epigraphy" dismantled a multinational fake Rioja network spanning three countries.
Whether through trademarks, geographical indications, certification marks, or patents (as seen in the competitive synthetic cork industry), wine intellectual property serves as the legal foundation for an industry that blends agriculture, culture, commerce and law. What's inside the bottle is only half the story, the rest lies in who has the right to tell it.
Listen now to understand why every sip comes with a side of intellectual property law, and why the words on a wine label can be worth millions in courtrooms worldwide.

Send us a text

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Champagne vs. "Champanillo" Tapas Bar (00:00:00)

2. Prosecco Battles: Croatia and Australia (00:02:40)

3. Luxury Wine Lawsuits: Petrus and Purple Rain (00:05:00)

4. Oregon Wine Origin Problems (00:07:27)

5. Synthetic Cork Patents and Innovation (00:08:29)

6. Understanding Wine IP Protection Types (00:11:16)

7. Five Key Takeaways and Conclusion (00:13:56)

53 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 479717698 series 2806786
Content provided by Leticia Caminero. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Leticia Caminero or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

A bottle of wine carries more than fermented grapes. It embodies intellectual property worth billions in global markets. From the tapas bars of Barcelona to the vineyards of Australia, wine names spark international incidents with real-world consequences.
When a small Spanish bar named "Champanillo" (little champagne) faced the wrath of the powerful Comité Champagne, it revealed how geographical indications function like luxury brand protections. No actual champagne was sold, yet the European Court of Justice ruled the mere evocation of champagne's prestige violated EU law. Similarly, Belgian customs officials destroyed thousands of Miller High Life beer cans for daring to call themselves "The Champagne of Beers" despite using the slogan for over 120 years.
These battles extend beyond Europe's borders. Croatian winemakers watched helplessly as their traditional Prošek dessert wine, despite being nothing like sparkling Prosecco, was blocked from registration after Italian opposition. Meanwhile, Australia and the EU reached a trade negotiation impasse over whether "Prosecco" refers to a grape variety (as Australians argue) or a protected place name (as Europeans insist). The dispute demonstrates how a single wine term can become geopolitical leverage worth potentially billions in trade.
Luxury producers fight equally fierce battles, with Château Petrus winning a €1.2 million judgment against a cheaper wine called "Petrus Lambertini," while even Prince's estate successfully challenged an Ohio winery's "Purple Rain" wine. Counterfeiters face serious consequences too, fake Lafite bottles distributed through nearly 2,000 supermarkets resulted in an $11 million judgment, while Europol's "Operation Epigraphy" dismantled a multinational fake Rioja network spanning three countries.
Whether through trademarks, geographical indications, certification marks, or patents (as seen in the competitive synthetic cork industry), wine intellectual property serves as the legal foundation for an industry that blends agriculture, culture, commerce and law. What's inside the bottle is only half the story, the rest lies in who has the right to tell it.
Listen now to understand why every sip comes with a side of intellectual property law, and why the words on a wine label can be worth millions in courtrooms worldwide.

Send us a text

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Champagne vs. "Champanillo" Tapas Bar (00:00:00)

2. Prosecco Battles: Croatia and Australia (00:02:40)

3. Luxury Wine Lawsuits: Petrus and Purple Rain (00:05:00)

4. Oregon Wine Origin Problems (00:07:27)

5. Synthetic Cork Patents and Innovation (00:08:29)

6. Understanding Wine IP Protection Types (00:11:16)

7. Five Key Takeaways and Conclusion (00:13:56)

53 episodes

All episodes

×
 
Loading …

Welcome to Player FM!

Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.

 

Copyright 2025 | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | | Copyright
Listen to this show while you explore
Play