Authors: Sher Hann Chua, Ee Ning Low, Adrian Fisher

Cheese and Desist? Court of Appeal says yes to Parmesan

The recent Court of Appeal decision in Fonterra Brands (Singapore) Pte Ltd (Fonterra) v Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano (Consorzio) [2024] SGCA 53 (“Fonterra v Consorzio”) represents a significant development in the interpretation and protection of geographical indications (“GIs”) under the Geographical Indications Act 2014 of Singapore (“GIA”). In this landmark case, the Court of Appeal grappled with the nuances of what constitutes a translation of a GI that is entitled to protection under the GIA.