We know that several trademark battles are happening around the world. Since trademarks are one of the invaluable assets that protect the individuality of a brand, authorized organizations must pay attention to counterfeits and illegal usages of their trademarks. Similarly, one more trademark battle began when Cyprus’s popular cheese named Halloumi was attempted to use by an Indian dairy firm. Read more to learn about the trademark conflict between these two parties and to know which entity has succeeded in this battle.
Halloumi And Its Birthplace, Cyprus
Cyprus is known as the origin of Halloumi, a famous cheese variety made out of a blend of goat and sheep milk. The cheese is well-known for its semi-hard and unripened texture. Sometimes Halloumi is also made out of cow’s milk in Cyprus. To the present, Halloumi is popular in Cypriot cuisine since its texture and high melting point make it the right fit for cooking a variety of dishes. The cheese is not only famous in Cyprus but also recognized worldwide, which makes it one of the stable revenue-generating assets for Cyprus. It all started when an Indian entity named Flavi, an Ahmedabad-based Dairy Firm tried to trademark a cheese variant under the name of Halloumi.
The Trademark Conflict By Flavi
Flavi is a well-known dairy company in India that has been producing milk and food products over the past decades. In December 2021, Flavi initiated the trademark registration process for Halloumi. Since Cyprus had already registered a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for Halloumi in 2014, under the European Union, Flavi’s attempt to trademark the cheese raised a conflict. In In May 2022, the Cyprus Government took action, and Cypus’s Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry filed an opposition in the Trademark Registry, Ahmedabad, against Flavi’s attempt to trademark Haloumi. The Cyprus government opposed Flavi, as registering a trademark named Halloumi would generalize the name and may affect the individuality of the brand. As the PDO clearly states that only traditionally produced cheese in Cyprus can be named Halloumi, no other entity can try to reproduce or reuse the same name for their products.
The Decision of the European Court of Justice For The Trademark Battle
Cyprus also filed an objection to this trademark registration with the European Union Intellectual. Property Office (EUIPO) and tried to reject Flavi’s application for trademark registration. Since the usage of Halloumi by another entity may result in confusion among people and impact the identity of the original cheese brand, EUIPO and the European Court of Justice decided to favor Cyprus. Also, the court confirmed that PDO provided strong lawful protection for the trademark “Halloumi”, and no one can use it without authorization.
This decision has also affirmed the significance of PDO and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) in protecting the originality of Cyprus’s authentic products. The decision also makes it clear that every entity should respect the geographic trademarks and should not be involved in unfair usage of trademarks.
Even though Halloumi is only a registered trademark in Cyprus and not in India, the Cyprus government has raised opposition against Flavi’s attempt to trademark the same, as it may affect the distinctiveness of the brand. The government also suspected that registering another trademark with the same name as Halloumi may impact the trademark’s relationship with Cyprus.
Status of Flavi’s Trademark Application on ‘Halloumi”
As mentioned earlier, in December 2021, Flavi tried to register a trademark for one of its cheese products under the name of Halloumi. After the opposition filed by the Cyprus government, Flavia’s trademark application was rejected. After one and a half years, the Trademark Registry Office officially abandoned Flavia’s trademark application on November 20, 2023.
After this battle has come to a conclusion, Cyprus can finally concentrate on expanding the international exports of Halloumi. As the European Court of Justice has strongly mentioned the significance of respecting regional heritage, Cyprus can resume concentrating on serving its cultural food product, Halloumi.
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This dispute between Cyprus and the dairy firm Flavi has firmly established the fact that trademarked rights are exclusive to the authorized entity, and no other entity can reproduce or reuse it. The conflict has come to a conclusion declaring that the sole ownership of Halloumi belongs to Cyprus because of the strong protection provided by the PDO status. As a result of this conflict, we can say that traditional food products across the world and their authenticity will be preserved in the upcoming years by ensuring the rights of the place of origin.
If you are looking forward to registering IP protection with the Trademark Office to protect the identity of your brand, Brealant is the right choice for you! Contact us right now to clarify the IP laws and protect your properties from unauthorized usage.