The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Navy has submitted questions to the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) regarding an application it made to hold a label that would certify Irish whiskey products as legitimate to United States.
Whiskey producer West Cork Distillers has challenged this decision.
The department said it was aware of the application to register “Irish whiskey,” a geographical indication under EU law, in the United States. He added that he was also aware of the opposition.
“The department has requested information from IWA on the certification request.
“This information was received on November 17 and is currently under review by the ministry.”
In response to further questions, he said he could not comment further, but added that he would engage directly with the parties concerned.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) asserts that a certification mark is a type of mark used to show consumers that particular goods and services, or their suppliers, meet specific standards. To use a certification mark, a company’s product or service must meet standards set by the owner of the mark.
In 2018, the IWA applied for registration of “Irish Whiskey” as a certification mark in the United States.
The application states that the mark is intended to certify that the products supplied meet the standards set out in the Irish Whiskey Act of 1980, the Irish Whiskey Technical File 2014 and European regulations.
At the time of writing, the IWA has not responded to a request for comment. Last week he said he applied for the mark to strengthen the protection of Irish whiskey in the United States.
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