Dispute in Russia, victory in Germany

Champagne prevails against discounter Aldi Süd.

Champagne sorbet will no longer be called as such at Aldi Süd / Credit. ©Vita - stock.adobe.com
Champagne sorbet will no longer be called as such at Aldi Süd / Credit. ©Vita - stock.adobe.com

While Champagne seems unable to enforce its designation right in Russia, the region has nevertheless scored a legal success elsewhere: As the Higher Regional Court of Munich, Germany, announced on 1 July, the discounter Aldi Süd is no longer allowed to sell a Champagne sorbet as such. The court ruled in favour of the "protection of the designation of origin" for Champagne.

The ruling was preceded by a nine-year legal battle. Only after passing through four courts was it finally recognised that the sorbet launched by Aldi in 2012 contained real champagne as a basis but did not give it any essential characteristics. Thus, the use of the protected designation of origin Champagne in the name of the product constitutes an exploitation of reputation or a misleading claim for the consumer.

The French designation "Champagne" has been protected in France as an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée by the INAO since 29 June 1936, which is also recognised and followed in many other countries. In other countries, such as the USA, it has only been recognised for a few years, but there are still some wine businesses that are allowed to claim the name for their products on the basis of old regulations. aw/itp

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