Champagne growers, shippers and producers v. YSL
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), an association of French champagne growers and shippers, and l'Institut National des Apellations d'Origine (AINO), a group that works to protect the exclusivity of the appellations or origin on French wines file a lawsuit in Belgium attempting to bar Yves Saint Laurent from using the Champagne name on its recently launched women's fragrance. The action is the fourth suit filed by the groups since the fragrance debuted in Europe, Africa and the Middle East last September. CIVC and AINO have succeeded in forcing YSL to cease use of the name in France ("The Rose Sheet" Dec. 20, p. 9) and have suits pending in England and Germany. A decision is expected in Germany in October; no trial date has been set in England