Osawa Wines, a New Zealand-based winery, has won a case against French Chateau Mouton Rothschild estate over usage of wine label.
In 2008, Osawa launched a new product with Flying Mouton label. Chateau Mouton Rothschild filed a case with Intellectual Property of New Zealand over trademark issue as the label resembled its brand Mouton Cadet, which is also widely sold and imported in New Zealand by Kahurangi Estate.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild also demanded Osawa Wines to withdraw its trademark application for using the wine label in Japan and Australia. Overall, the French estate filed nine such instances, opposing the wine label. However, all of them were rejected by the trademark assistant commissioner Jennie Walden, reported The New Zealand Herald.
Osawa Wines director Mark Lim told the website that the name 'Mouton' was derived from many things.
"The sheep farm we converted into a vineyard, the white cumulus clouds floating over Hawkes Bay, the affection for the French style of wine of the winery's owner, Mr Osawa, and the winemaker Rod McDonald's own background in the French style of winemaking," he added.
