A French court sided with the Piadina Romagnola PGI’s Protection Consortium, ruling that the term “Piadina” cannot be monopolized by a single company. It must rather remain a generic designation for all producers of the traditional Italian flatbread. The decision marks a significant victory against a Swiss company that had sought to register the name—with a capital “P”—as its own trademark in France.
Several years ago, the firm had successfully registered “Piadina” as a trademark in France. The Consortium challenged the registration, arguing that the term is generic and cannot be claimed by a single entity. Following a lengthy legal dispute, the National Institute of Industrial Property in Paris upheld the Italian Consortium’s appeal.
The Consortium demonstrated, through a detailed market study, that in France today the word “piadina” unequivocally identifies the flatbread itself. “Therefore, the registration and use of the trademark ‘Piadina’ by the Swiss company in France, in addition to conflicting with the Piadina Romagnola PGI designation, would have misled and confused consumers,” the Consortium noted.
Among the evidence submitted was a video from a visit to Romagna by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following the 2023 floods. During her visit, she publicly praised “this wonderful piadina bread,” illustrating that the term serves to identify any product made in a specific traditional way, rather than a single company’s output.
In an official statement, the Consortium emphasized the wider significance of the ruling: “The litigation won in France represents a new milestone in the consortium’s ongoing efforts to protect the name Piadina, already active in Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan against improper uses. This consistent work strengthens the identity and protection of the ‘bread of Romagna’ in international markets.”
The decision in Paris underscores the importance of safeguarding traditional food names against commercial appropriation, reinforcing the value of geographic and cultural heritage in global trade.
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