What is a Reserved Designation?

A reserved designation is an official symbol attesting to a product's quality and origin, and that for the most part applies to niche products with high added values (e.g.: Cognac, Foie gras).

As soon as products have acquired a certain level of notoriety on any particular market, it is not unusual that others will try and imitate them or appropriate their name (e.g.: American champagne, Gruyere).

For this reason legal means are necessary to protect the product identity and to attribute value to agri-food products bearing a quality label such as a reserved designation.

Unlike a trademark belonging to a specific company, a designation is a generic term that is reserved and controlled by the government or any authority officially appointed to do so.