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International Report

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Antitrust in Pharmaceutical Markets & Geographical Rules of Origin

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Abstract

This International Report examines the increasingly important use and protection of indications of source (including geographical indications, as well as appellations and designations of origin). In particular, it considers how the laws of those countries that have prepared National Reports regulate the use of indications of source for goods and services.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The author is very grateful for the national reports which have been submitted from the following jurisdictions: Austria (Christoph Petsch and Michael Meyenburg); Belgium (Claire Hazée); Czech Republic (Jan Hák, not published); France (Martina Isola and Guillaume Couet); Germany (Olaf Sosnitza); Hungary (Ádám Liber); Italy (Daniela Caneva, not published); Malta (Philip Mifsud and Elise Dingli); UK (Ashley Roughton, not published); Brazil (Felipe Barros Oquendo); Japan (Noriko Itai, Kenta Sugimoto and Shigeshi Tanaka) and Ukraine (Kateryna Oliinyk, not published). We could not include the report from Poland (Aleksandra Wędrychowska-Karpińska and Agnieszka Wiercińska-Krużewska) which was submitted while the international report was adopted, however the report is published in this collection.

  2. 2.

    The Paris Convention can be accessed inter alia on the website of the WIPO. Available under: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/text.jsp?file_id=288514.

  3. 3.

    Available under: http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/text.jsp?file_id=286779.

  4. 4.

    Available under: http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=12586.

  5. 5.

    Available under: http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=15625.

  6. 6.

    Available under: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/t_agm0_e.htm.

  7. 7.

    The WTO has currently 164 Member States and 20 observers (October 2016).

  8. 8.

    WTO-Dispute No. DS174, European Communities — Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs (Complainant: United States) and WTO-Dispute No. DS290, European Communities — Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs (Complainant: Australia). Available under: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_status_e.htm.

  9. 9.

    Commission Regulation 2081/92 of 14 July 1992 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, OJ 1992, L 208, p. 1.

  10. 10.

    This regulation has been replaced in the meantime. See Sect. 17.3.1.1 below.

  11. 11.

    In order to register third-country GIs in the EC, the former EC Regulation 2081/92 required non-EC countries to adopt a GI protection system equivalent to that in the EC and provide reciprocal protection to products from the EC.

  12. 12.

    Available under: http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=12586.

  13. 13.

    Available under: http://www.wipo.int/lisbon/en/.

  14. 14.

    Regulation 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, OJ 2012, L 343, p. 1.

  15. 15.

    Regulation 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organization of the markets in agricultural products, OJ 2013, L 347, p. 671.

  16. 16.

    Regulation 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks, OJ 2008, L 39, p. 16.

  17. 17.

    Regulation 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine products, OJ 2014, L 84, p. 14.

  18. 18.

    Art. 12(3) Foodstuffs Regulation.

  19. 19.

    Agreement of 27 June 2014, in force since 1 January 2016.

  20. 20.

    Agreement of 21 June 1999, in force since 1 June 2002.

  21. 21.

    Ordinance on the protection of geographical indications and denominations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (PDO/PGI Ordinance), systematic collection of Swiss law (SR) 910.12.

  22. 22.

    See Art. 15 Foodstuffs Regulation.

  23. 23.

    Art. 6(1) Foodstuffs Regulation, Art. 43(1) Wine Regulation and Art. 15(3) Spirits Regulation.

  24. 24.

    Art. 3(3) of the repealed Regulation No 2081/92 had imposed an obligation on the Council to draw up a non-exhaustive list of those names which are considered generic and therefore ineligible for registration. This list was to be published in the Official Journal; however, due to disagreement among the various Member States as to the names to be included, this list was never finalized or published. The Foodstuffs Regulation did not impose a similar obligation on the Council.

  25. 25.

    Joined cases CJEU, C-465/02, Federal Republic of Germany v Commission and C-466/02 Kingdom of Denmark v Commission, ECR 2005 I-9178.

  26. 26.

    Ibid., para. 3.

  27. 27.

    Ibid., para. 21.

  28. 28.

    Ibid., para. 83.

  29. 29.

    CJEU, case C-132/05, Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of Germany, ECR 2008 I-957.

  30. 30.

    CJEU, case C-466/07, Alberto Severi v. Regione Emilia- Romagna (“Salame Felino”), ECR 2009 I-8041, para. 47.

  31. 31.

    Art. 13(2) of the Foodstuffs Regulation, Art. 45(3) of the Wine Regulation and Art. 15(3) of the Spirits Regulation.

  32. 32.

    CJEU, joined cases C-129/97 and C-130/97, Chiciak and Fol; Criminal proceedings against Yvon Chiciak and Others (“Époisses”), ECR 1998 I-3315.

  33. 33.

    D. Giovannucci, T. Josling, W. Kerr, B. O’Connor and M. T. Yeung, Guide to Geographical Indications: Linking Products and their Origins, International Trade Centre 2009, p. 37. Available under: http://legacy.intracen.org/publications/Free-publications/Geographical_-Indications.pdf.

  34. 34.

    T. Wattanapruttipaisan, Trademarks and Geographical Indications: Policy Issues and Options in Trade Negotiations and Implementation, Asian Development Review 2009(1), pp. 116–205. Available under: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/-download?doi=10.1.1.177.2674&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

  35. 35.

    CJEU, case C-35/13, Salame di Felino, ECLI:EU:C:2014:306.

  36. 36.

    IOs that do not qualify as GIs may still be protected on a national level (see e.g. CJEU, case C-312/98, Warsteiner Brauerei, ECR 2000 I-9187).

  37. 37.

    German Report, Section 2.1.

  38. 38.

    Available under: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2011/may/tradoc_147926.pdf.

  39. 39.

    Available under: http://ec.europa.eu/mwg-internal/de5fs23hu73ds/progress?id=-BmC3hujvSkbTlGhgCKMSiUhwb_-ck8nXjMxC2wLv9s8.

  40. 40.

    Ordinance on the Protection of Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications for Non-Agricultural Products, systematic collection of Swiss law (SR) 232.112.2.

  41. 41.

    See Art. 48 para. 5 Swiss Trademark Act (effective since 1 January 2017).

  42. 42.

    Commission Regulation 2081/92 of 14 July 1992 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, OJ 1992, L 208, p. 1.

  43. 43.

    More details in Sect. 17.2.2.1 above.

  44. 44.

    Council Regulation 510/2006 of 20 March 2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, OJ 2006, L 93, p. 12.

  45. 45.

    Art. 94(3) Wine Regulation.

  46. 46.

    Brazilian Report, Section 3.

  47. 47.

    Italian Report, Section 8 (not published); see also M. Siragusa, M. Beretta and M. Bay, Competition Law in Italy, The first 20 years of law and practice, fn. 48. Available under: https://www.clearygottlieb.com/~/media/cgsh/files/other-pdfs/competition-laws-outside-the-united-states.pdf.

  48. 48.

    Swiss Federal Supreme Court decision of 23 May 2013, BGE 4A_449/2012.

  49. 49.

    Hungarian Report, Section 9.

  50. 50.

    Joined cases CJEU, C-465/02, Federal Republic of Germany v Commission and C-466/02 Kingdom of Denmark v Commission, ECR 2005 I-9178.

  51. 51.

    P. Ströbele and F. Hacker, Markengesetz, 11th Ed., Munich 2015, Art. 130 para. 103.

  52. 52.

    P. Ströbele and F. Hacker, Markengesetz, 11th Ed., Munich 2015, Art. 132 para. 28.

  53. 53.

    Council Regulation 207/2009 of 26 February 2009 on the Community trade mark, OJ 2009, L 78, p.1.

  54. 54.

    Regulation 2015/2424 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2015 amending Council Regulation 207/2009 on the Community trade mark and Commission Regulation 2868/95 implementing Council Regulation 40/94 on the Community trade mark, and repealing Commission Regulation 2869/95 on the fees payable to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs), OJ 2015, L 341, p. 21.

  55. 55.

    Directive 2015/2436 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2015 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks, OJ 2015, L 336, p.1.

  56. 56.

    B. Goebel and M. Groeschl, The Long Road to Resolving Conflicts Between Trademarks and Geographical Indications, The Trade Mark Reporter 2014(4), pp. 829–869.

  57. 57.

    Regulation 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code, OJ 2013, L 269, p. 1.

  58. 58.

    Commission delegated Regulation 2015/2446 of 28 July 2015 supplementing Regulation 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards detailed rules concerning certain provisions of the Union Customs Code, OJ 2015, L 343, p. 1.

  59. 59.

    Please note that we refer to the new “Swissness” legislation coming into effect as of 1 January 2017.

  60. 60.

    Hungarian Report, Section 3.

  61. 61.

    Art. 48b of the Swiss Trademark Protection Act (effective as per 1 January 2017).

  62. 62.

    Regulation 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, OJ 2011, L 304, p. 18.

  63. 63.

    Regulation 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products, OJ 2009, L 342, p. 59.

  64. 64.

    O. Sosnitza, Obligatorische Herkunftskennzeichnung im Lebensmittelrecht, GRUR 2016, pp. 347–355.

  65. 65.

    Art. 5(2) Foodstuffs Regulation.

  66. 66.

    German Report, Section 10.

  67. 67.

    Regulation 1760/2000 of the of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 establishing a system for the identification and registration of bovine animals and regarding the labelling of beef and beef products, OJ 2000, L 204, p. 1.

  68. 68.

    Art. 13(1) lit. a Foodstuffs Regulation.

  69. 69.

    Which is usually prohibited under art. 13(1) lit. b Foodstuffs Regulation, see German Report, Section 10.

  70. 70.

    Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, Frequently asked questions – the “Swissness” legislation, p. 5. Available under: https://www.ige.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/Swissness-/e/faq_e/-FAQ_EN_Swissness.pdf.

  71. 71.

    CJEU, case C-466/07, Alberto Severi v. Regione Emilia- Romagna (“Salame Felino”), ECR 2009 I-8041.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Luana Stämpfli, M.A. HSG in Law and Economics, for her valuable assistance.

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  1. Meyerlustenberger Lachenal, Bern, Switzerland

    Simon Holzer

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  1. Kobel Avocat Attorney-at-law, Geneva, Switzerland

    Pierre Kobel

  2. Këllezi Legal, Geneva, Switzerland

    Pranvera Këllezi

  3. Addleshaw Goddard LLP, London, United Kingdom

    Bruce Kilpatrick

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Holzer, S. (2017). International Report. In: Kobel, P., Këllezi, P., Kilpatrick, B. (eds) Antitrust in Pharmaceutical Markets & Geographical Rules of Origin. LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55813-4_17

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