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Correction: Nosecco trademark dispute
There were errors in a story published last week regarding a trademark dispute over the use of the name ‘Nosecco’ on a product sold by a french wine business.
The headline for our story read ‘French wine company stopped from selling Nosecco non-alcoholic fizz’. This is incorrect, because the High Court case was primarily focused on Les Grands Chais de France’s application to register a trademark for the name ‘Nosecco’ in the UK, as we did go on to explain in the article. The trademark was opposed by the Prosecco Consortium, and the decision to refuse GCF’s trademark was upheld by the High Court on appeal.
The headline is therefore misleading, and should have read: ‘French wine company stopped from trademarking Nosecco non-alcoholic fizz’.
In the article itself, we wrote: “GCF appealed the IPO’s decision, which brought the case to the High Court this week (24 June). The Consortium came out victorious, preventing GCF from using the trademark.”
The wording of this paragraph is misleading. GCF have still been refused a trademark, but it does not prevent the company from using the brand name.
GCF have responded to the decision made by the High Court in London. Here is the company’s statement:
“The trademark court decision last week relates only to the registered protection of our Nosecco name as a trademark in the UK. It has no legal bearing at all on GCF’s ability to continue to sell the product in this market, and the Prosecco Consortium has never in fact sought to stop GCF from supplying Nosecco here.
“GCF is extremely proud of its Nosecco brand and the popularity it has achieved since its creation in 2017 in direct response to soaring consumer demand for appealing, non-alcoholic sparkling wine alternatives. It has gone on to achieve phenomenal success both in the UK and internationally, where the brand name has been legally registered as a trademark in several other countries.
“Moving forward, as consumers continue to explore the rapidly expanding low and no-alcohol sector further and enjoy the options and benefits that these products can bring, we will continue to build on the momentum and success that our brand has already gained, including our planned programme of range extensions to match the ever evolving needs of the UK consumer.”