The Foundation for the Protection of Traditional Cheese of Cyprus has won a case in the High court to protect “Halloumi” as a trademark and prevent non-Cypriot manufacturers from using the mark.

The High court rejected an application from a Hungarian dairy company to register the trademark “Hajdu Halloumi” in the UK. The court found that the Hungarian Company was “incorporating and using the foundation’s mark as a badge of producer origin” which it had no right to do.

The UK is the export largest market for Halloumi cheese accounting for some 75% of all production. The cheese is the second biggest Cypriot export after pharmaceuticals.

The Cypriot government has applied to the EU for PGI status for Halloumi and until the application is assessed by the EU the Foundation is trying to protect the product by registering Halloumi as a collective EU trademark. A collective EU trademark is one which applies to goods and services from members of a trade association rather than an individual trader.

There are three European Union schemes designed to protect and promote names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs: PDO, protected designation of origin; PGI, protected geographical indication; and TSG, traditional specialities guaranteed.

For a product to qualify for a PDO, it must have qualities or characteristics which are essentially due to its region of production: it must also be produced, processed and prepared exclusively within that region. Such products include Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Feta cheeses, Melton Mobray pork pies, Champagne and Armagnac and now Halloumi. Protected indications are treated as intellectual property rights.