Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), a trade association for Scotch Whisky industry in the UK, has announced that Scotch Whisky has been registered as a certification trade mark in Australia, which will help in identifying fake products.
SWA has decided to halt the sale of 40 brands of fake Scotch in Australia since 2005, as the sale of fake Scotch Whisky has become a major issue in the country.
The removal of specific protection for Scotch Whisky from the country's Food Standards Code in 2000 is believed to be the key reason for fake Scotch sale in the country.
The UK Government and the European Commission has backed SWA in its efforts to stop the sale of fake Scotch.
SWA legal adviser Alan Park said that registration of Scotch Whisky as a certification trade mark is a major breakthrough and will make it easier to crack down on fakes and therefore protect consumers, although the onus to prevent the sale of fakes still rests on the industry.
"We will be monitoring the market and will use our new protection for Scotch Whisky to take decisive action against fakes," added Park.
