Wine industry welcomes moves to protect intellectual property on labels
AUSTRALIAN Grape & Wine chief executive Tony Battaglene says the development of an Australian wine label intellectual property directory will protect wine businesses of all sizes from being ripped off.
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AUSTRALIAN Grape & Wine chief executive Tony Battaglene says the development of an Australian wine label intellectual property directory will protect wine businesses of all sizes from being ripped off.
Mr Battaglene said the directory would also help bolster Australian wine’s reputation with consumers in international markets.
“Australia’s reputation as an exporter of premium wines has not happened by accident. Over many years, Australia’s wine export approval arrangements have given customers confidence in the knowledge that the contents of a bottle matches the claims about vintage, variety and region on the wine label” he said.
Federal agriculture minister David Littleproud said Australia’s wine industry would be better protected from copycat exporters through the intellectual property directory.
“Copycat export wines mimic Australian brands by copying our labels,” he said.
“This rips off our producers and it also ruins the reputation of our wine when customers expect a quality Australian wine and receive a cheap knock-off.
“The publicly accessible directory will require all Australian wine exporters to submit images of their labels prior to gaining export certification.
“It will be searchable by image elements, brand name and publication date and will display the trademarked image of labels, the exporter ABN, brand name and date the label was published to the directory.
“This allows wine growers and exporters to identify copycat labels. Copycats can be stripped of their export licence and those being copied could also take private legal action.
“There are significant punishments for those who breach the law and the directory will help ensure copycats are held accountable.”
The Federal Coalition Government invested $417,000 to create the directory and its ongoing administration will be funded by industry.
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