Salut/Hi Steve Grant,

le/on 26 Oct 2003 15:36:06 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

>"Ian Hoare" > wrote in message
>news
>>
>> This isn't in any sense to be taken as anti-American
>
>Not taken that way, at least not by this American.

Thanks Steve.

>US producers who label their product "champagne" (the lower-case "c" does not excuse their
>dishonesty) are a blight on the industry.

What is really sad in this for me is that these products are mainly quite
good enough to stand on their own merits.

I've seen it said that names like champagne & chablis (which for me are
_clearly_ names of wine regions) sherry & port (which are slightly different
in that they are anglicisms for wines imported from particular ports, can
not now be protected by right of long usage in many places other than those
of origin. It may be legally true, but in that case the law is an ass and
shold be changed. As someone who lived in a country which regularly passed
off all sorts of muck with prestigious names (Burgundy, Claret, Sherry and
Port to name but a few) I know just how the misuse of these names debased
the general view of the genuine article. I was delighted to see European
style legislation introduced to ban such passing off and would very much
like to see much more stringent legislation of this type world wide. No, in
fact I'd far prefer it if producers, importers and retailers would be
meticulous on a voluntary basis. But if they aren't prepared to do so then I
believe it may be necessary to introduce legislation to do so.

ALL countries (and again, please don't take this as in any way intended as a
sideways swipe at America) need to be far more meticulous in their handling
of international trade. Size or wealth make no difference. It's a matter of
equity above everything else. If laws allow injustice then that's not a
justification of the action, it's a demonstration of bad laws - which after
all are nothing sacrosanct, but the creation of the administration in power
when the law was enacted. At the moment in France M Chirac is President, and
we see laws enacted which reflect his political stance and beliefs. One
could argue that legislators should be above such things, but that would be
unduly naive. When it comes to international trade, and the protection of
wine (and cheese and ham and all sorts) names the game is even more complex,
with, no doubt all sorts of horse trading going on. I'd prefer it - by FAR -
if such agreements didn't descend to different sides fighting nationalist
interests, but that a real attempt were made to find just and equitable
solutions, but that's obviously hopelessly idealistic. But just as I find
the argument "You can't copyright "Blue Mountain" because it is a colour
followed by a geographical description" morally bankrupt, in its effect on
Jamaican coffee growers, so I find the reduction of such matters as wine and
cheese names to sterile legalism to be the same.


--
All the Best
Ian Hoare

Sometimes oi just sits and thinks
Sometimes oi just sits.