In Vino Veritas: The Next Vintage – The Future of Wine Anti-Counterfeiting

shutterstock_85240996Wine counterfeiting in China is at a critical stage for the European wine industry. In recent years we have had a taste of what Chinese consumption means to the European producers, with over a quarter of a billion litres of European wine consumed annually by what represents only a fraction of the potential market in China. As the market moves from commodity and gift wines to drinking ‘table’ wine, so do the counterfeiters, flooding supermarkets and restaurants with wines bearing (often validly registered) appellation marks which have no connection to the liquid inside the bottle.

Chinese palates are at a crucial developmental stage, and exposure to poor quality counterfeits of European wine not only damages profits, but also poisons the reputation of European producers in the Chinese marketplace. Competition with domestic producers is already fierce, and Europe’s wine industry can no longer afford to stand by and let this threat go unchallenged.

In today’s article we look back at some of the key points raised over the course of this series, as well as reiterating some of the key points raised by the experts who were instrumental in the creation of this series. For more of the In Vino Veritas series, click here.

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In Vino Veritas: Getting Practical; Market monitoring and alternative enforcement strategies

wine label-05Today we have a guest article, kindly written for the Helpdesk by expert counterfeit investigator and old China hand Nick Bartman.

Nick has over 25 years of experience personally investigating and putting a stop to counterfeiting activities, 20 of which he has spent working in China for some of the biggest brands and household names. Over the last 6 years he has worked almost exclusively to expose wine counterfeiters and spread the word throughout the wine industry and has developed an extensive knowledge of the strategies and methodologies used by wine counterfeiters in China today.

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In Vino Veritas: Terroir IPR Part 2: Regulatory bodies and collective action against counterfeiting

wine label-04In our previous article we discussed wine’s history as a product heavily reliant on geography, soil quality, and climate, or terroir for its unique characteristics, the resultant importance of regional classifications, and the legal protection available for producers based in distinctive wine regions. In this article we’ll be looking at how certain regulatory bodies and wine associations can, and in some cases already do, help producers to protect the reputations of their brands. Finally we’ll look at how the wine industry can come together to tackle the counterfeiting industry which continues to damage the sales and reputation of this much loved beverage.

As always, if you have any questions, get in touch with our experts here.

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In Vino Veritas: Terroir IPR: Geographical Indications and IP Protection for your Appellation of Origin

wine label-04Wine has been classified by region for almost the entirety of its long and varied history, the Ancient Greeks stamped amphorae with the seal of the region they came from, and references to wine, identified by region are found throughout the Bible and other religious texts. Whilst this tradition of geographical identification continued throughout Antiquity and the Middle Ages, it was only in 1716, with the introduction of the Chianti region in Italy, protected by edict of the then Grand Duke of Tuscany.

In today’s article we’ll explore the concept of GI protection and some of  the schemes available for European wine producers for the protection of their products. Tomorrow, we’ll look a bit further into how wine regulatory bodies such as The Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité (INAO) actively work with producers and distributors to counter infringers in China.

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In Vino Veritas: The How & Where to Register Wine IP

wine label-03Registering Intellectual Property Rights in China
Resources and Contact Details for Wine Producers & Distributors

Registration Requirements and Offices in the People’s Republic of China for the European Wine Industry.

Please note, the details below are for Mainland China only. For more information on contact details for Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, see the fact sheets on the Helpdesk website or get in touch with one of our experts via our helpline.

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