Trade bodies Drinks Ireland and the Irish Whiskey Association have secured legal protection for Irish whiskey in Taiwan by registering Irish whiskey as a certification trademark in both English and Chinese.
According to the bodies, the registration will give consumers in Taiwan greater confidence in the quality and authenticity of Irish whiskey as well as provide industry with enhanced protection and enforcement against fake and counterfeit products.
Taiwan is a small but emerging market for Irish whiskey with growth of over 44% in the last three years.
This is the latest legal success for Irish whiskey sector, which earlier this year secured legal protection in three other markets: Australia, South Africa and India.
“The registration of Irish whiskey as a certification trademark in Taiwan is another successful milestone in Drinks Ireland | Irish Whiskey Association’s global protection strategy,” said Miriam Mooney, legal advisor for Drinks Ireland and the Irish Whiskey Association.
“This registration means Irish whiskey is for the first time protected and defined in Taiwanese law. It is imperative that we ensure the integrity of the Irish whiskey category is upheld in both established and new emerging markets.
“The industry takes the legal protection of Irish whiskey very seriously and this year trebled its investment in protection, which enables us to seek legal protection for Irish whiskey on a worldwide basis.
“These registrations greatly enhance our ability to pursue legal action against counterfeit and imitation products which take advantage of the reputation of Irish whiskey, and to ensure consumer confidence is upheld.”
Boosted by the trend towards premiumisation, Irish whiskey became a $1 billion business in the US in 2018.
According to Irish Whiskey Association head William Lavelle, the industry is undergoing a “global renaissance”, thanks in part to the product innovation of distilleries.
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