Do you have a "Laguiole" knife? Strictly one which folds and has a bee symbol on the handle. Probably yours, like ours, does not fold and was made in China. But the Aveyron town has had some justice in its fight to keep the name as a "geographic indication" of production. The name was copyrighted by a private business some years ago as a simple trademark, under which knives of a similar design could be sold, as well as other household products, all produced anywhere. The cheese was already protected as with many food and drink products. But the trademark protection prevented other local makers using the name of their village on the knives they made. Now the high court has decided that the decision of a lower court that the name was common usage and could be used by the trademark owner to sell non locally produced knives was "wrong in law" and has asked the lower court to reconsider.
Local maire and businesses hope this is a step towards what they see as reversing the appropriation of their name.
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