Food, wine and agriculture
Protect food, wine and agricultural assets in France and Europe
Market entry in food, wine and agriculture requires more than a trademark filing. Brand names, labels, geographical indications, plant varieties, packaging, distribution contracts and customs enforcement can all affect whether a product can launch and grow safely.
Dreyfus supports Asian IP firms, producers, brand owners, importers and technology businesses with coordinated French and European advice across these rights.
Matter essentials
What the instruction requires
The sections below clarify the route, documents, decisions and local workstream for this specific matter.
Five protection priorities
1. Brands and product names
Availability searches should consider earlier trademarks and protected geographical names. We help define the relevant goods and services, select the French, EU or international route and manage objections or oppositions.
2. Wine names, labels and promotion
Wine projects require alignment between trademarks, appellations, product presentation, labels, advertising and distribution. The legal route depends on the product, origin claims, sales channels and target countries.
3. Geographical indications
A geographical indication protects a product name whose qualities, reputation or characteristics are linked to a place. In the European Union, the framework distinguishes protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications according to the strength of that link.
We assist with conflicts between trademarks and geographical indications, protection strategy, specifications, portfolio review and enforcement.
Explore geographical indications or consult the official EUIPO GI hub.
4. Plant varieties
Breeders, seed businesses, licensees and agricultural technology companies may need protection for new plant varieties, ownership and licence arrangements, portfolio management and enforcement.
Explore plant variety protection
5. Distribution and anti-counterfeiting
Contracts should clarify territory, brand use, quality control, online sales, ownership of local filings and termination. Where counterfeit goods cross EU borders, customs action can complement marketplace and court enforcement.
Market-entry checklist for Asian companies
- Who owns the brand, recipes, designs, varieties and packaging rights?
- Do proposed names conflict with trademarks or protected geographical names?
- Which claims about origin, quality or production method will appear on the label?
- Are importer, distributor and online marketplace responsibilities documented?
- Which French or EU filings must be completed before launch?
- How will counterfeit products, copied packaging or abusive domains be detected?
How we coordinate the matter
- Product and market review: products, origin, target countries, channels and launch timing.
- Rights map: trademarks, geographical indications, plant varieties, designs, copyright and contracts.
- Risk priorities: clearance, label claims, ownership, distribution and enforcement gaps.
- Action plan: filings, agreements, authority work and monitoring with clear timing and fees.
- Ongoing support: portfolio management, oppositions, customs and disputes.
For Asian IP firms and in-house teams
Dreyfus provides one English-speaking contact for the French and EU workstream, with white-label coordination available for Asian IP firms and agencies.
- scope and authority route confirmed before work begins;
- documents, deadlines and responsibilities presented in a concise checklist;
- connected treatment of trademarks, geographical names, varieties, contracts and enforcement;
- clear reporting for business, legal and export teams.
What Dreyfus adds
Food, wine and agricultural projects often combine several rights and regulatory questions. Our role is to identify the French and EU issues that affect launch, distribution and enforceability, then coordinate the appropriate local workstream.
Food, wine and agriculture
Discuss a food, wine or agriculture project
Send us the product category, proposed brand, origin claims, target markets, commercial partners and planned launch date. We will identify the rights and regulatory questions that should be addressed first.
