{"id":5499,"date":"2026-07-17T12:51:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abrilabogados.com\/?p=5499"},"modified":"2026-07-17T12:53:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:53:04","slug":"the-protection-of-protected-designations-of-origin-goes-far-beyond-preventing-identical-copies-pdo-margaux-vs-margot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abrilabogados.com\/en\/noticias\/the-protection-of-protected-designations-of-origin-goes-far-beyond-preventing-identical-copies-pdo-margaux-vs-margot\/","title":{"rendered":"The protection of Protected Designations of Origin goes far beyond preventing identical copies: PDO MARGAUX vs. MARGOT"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent decision by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) has declared invalid a trademark for wines incorporating the term Margot<\/em>, following an invalidity action brought by the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux<\/em>, the body responsible for protecting the renowned PDO MARGAUX, under which, among others, the famous Ch\u00e2teau Margaux wine is marketed.<\/p>\n

What makes this decision particularly interesting is not only the favourable outcome obtained for our client, but also the legal reasoning underpinning it.<\/p>\n

Although the OEPM first rejected the argument that the trademark was deceptive, finding that the term Margot<\/em> does not, in itself, convey a sufficiently specific message regarding the geographical origin of the wine or mislead consumers, its analysis did not end there.<\/p>\n

The OEPM ultimately upheld the invalidity action because it considered that the dominant element, Margot<\/em>, within the contested sign evokes the protected designation of origin Margaux. This was so despite the absence of a literal reproduction of the protected name or any direct exploitation of its reputation. That mental association alone was sufficient to declare the trademark invalid.<\/p>\n

The decision reiterates that Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) benefit from an enhanced level of protection under European Union law.<\/p>\n

In the field of PDOs and Geographical Indications (GIs), the legal assessment is not limited to the likelihood of confusion that traditionally applies in trademark law. EU legislation establishes a particularly robust protection that also extends to signs capable of creating a mental association with a protected designation.<\/p>\n

From a practical perspective, this decision highlights the importance of carrying out a thorough clearance assessment before filing a trademark application for products in the agri-food or wine sectors. It is not enough to verify the existence of earlier trademarks; it is equally essential to assess the potential impact of protected Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications.<\/p>\n

This is a highly relevant decision for intellectual property practitioners, the wine industry, and anyone involved in branding strategies and the protection of intangible assets.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Marta Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong><\/p>\n

Registered Industrial Property Agent<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent decision by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) has declared invalid a trademark for wines incorporating the term Margot, following an invalidity action brought by the Conseil…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"sector_noticias":[],"class_list":["post-5499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe protection of Protected Designations of Origin goes far beyond preventing identical copies: PDO MARGAUX vs. MARGOT - Abril Abogados<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abrilabogados.com\/en\/noticias\/the-protection-of-protected-designations-of-origin-goes-far-beyond-preventing-identical-copies-pdo-margaux-vs-margot\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The protection of Protected Designations of Origin goes far beyond preventing identical copies: PDO MARGAUX vs. MARGOT - 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