Gruyere Can Come from Anywhere, Court Rules

A Virginia federal court has reportedly confirmed that gruyere cheese does not need to be produced in the region near Gruyères, Switzerland, to carry the name in American stores. A consortium of cheesemakers in France and Switzerland near the region had appealed after the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board denied its application for a trademark, but the Eastern District of Virginia found that “gruyere” had been imported from areas outside of the Gruyère district for decades before the consortium applied for protections.

A spokesperson for Switzerland’s agriculture department reportedly told the New York Times, “Using the term ‘gruyère’ for a cheese produced in the United States threatens the reputation of the original product and its place in the foreign market and can only harm the entire sector.”