Brand: investing means protecting.
The conference in Castellina in Chianti confirms it.
“A brand must meet originality, distinctiveness and legitimacy requirements. Every entrepreneur must be aware that investing in a brand means being ready to invest in the tools needed to protect it, too. ” That’s what civil Lawyer Manfredi Burgio stated, while giving his speech at the conference “Trade Mark: its Protection under Civil and Criminal Law”, organized by the Italian Historic Companies Association and held on Friday, March 24th, at the headquarters of Luigi Cecchi and Figli, a more than a century-old company from Castellina in Chianti (Siena) that has been active in the wine sector since 1893.
The conference, featured during the customary Spring Meeting organized by the Association, saw the participation of the representatives of the ultra-centennial brands adhering to the Italian Historic Companies Association, and addressed the regulation of trademarks under civil law by outlining the characteristics of the brands and their different kinds, as well as the relevant regulation for both domestic and European trademarks and the penalties for breaching the laws regulating the matter, at a national and international level.
“The current global economic system leads to the circulation of counterfeit and low-cost products,” added Burgio, “but legal protection systems have recently been set up, including information-sharing among customs in order to reach the source of the counterfeiting process and protect the products of high-end companies, companies that are more likely to suffer not only economic, but also reputation damage. “With regard to the wine sector”, the other speaker of the meeting, Prosecutor Alessandro Becattini, added “As wine is easily subject to adulteration and fraud, there is a need for capillary investment in brand protection, as well as the repression and punishment of these criminal activities. I’m also talking about protecting the activities of wine consortia and the interests regulated via the adoption of procedural guidelines and technical specifications. “
The brand has always been a fundamental debating topic for the Italian Historic Companies Association. The association was founded in Florence in 2000 and became a national-level organization in 2012, representing 45 long-living, trustful Made-in-Italy companies from 8 different regions (Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily). Mazzetti d’Altavilla 1846 from Altavilla Monferrato (Alessandria), the oldest distillery from North-West Italy and one of the oldest in the whole country, became part of the Association in 2017.
The ordinary assembly of the Association was also held during the 2017 Spring Meeting. The members of the Association who participated in the assembly appointed Fortunato Amarelli and Gaddo Della Gherardesca as President of the Southern Italy District and President of the Northern Italy District, respectively. “This association – said Amarelli – represents an extraordinary heritage that needs to be cherished and preserved.” “One of most important activities in the next future will be organizing more guided visits to discover the manufacturing, historical and cultural excellencies represented by the affiliated companies, companies that everybody envies, both in Italy and abroad”, added Gaddo Della Gherardesca.
