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Representing Wine Labels And Food And Beverage Companies

Wine labels, food companies and beverage companies that conduct business in New York and throughout the United States need to protect their brands, products, logos and symbols from infringement by competitors. This can be accomplished through the use of federal trademark registration and licensing.

Our New York wine, food and beverage label attorneys at Gabor & Marotta LLC provide myriad legal services related to trademark law and brand protection. In order to develop name recognition, increase goodwill and marketability, and protect current and future business growth, our attorneys advise clients on the development of trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other manners of protection of intellectual property assets.

Our lawyers’ broad experience in real estate, tax and estates allows us to support our clients with well-rounded representation that meets all of their legal needs, including business generational planning, leases and licensing issues.

Establishing A Food Or Beverage Brand: Registering Your Beer And Wine Label

Establishing a new wine or spirit brand is an extensive undertaking. It is not just the aromas, flavors and superior style that set your product apart — it’s also your branded image. It can take years for a food company, beverage company, distillery or wine label to develop an effective branding strategy for its products, but seeking well-qualified legal representation can help keep your business on track.

Registration and maintenance of exclusive trademarks and brand names is an integral part of the brand development process and is vital to protect your long-term business strategy. Federal trademark registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the best weapon to prevent competitors from using the same or similar brand name.

Our New York attorneys can assist you in all aspects of protecting your brand, including selection of name and image, the avoidance of potential pitfalls in registration of your wine, food or beverage label, and the licensing and distribution of your products. If you are an importer or representative of an international product, it is crucial that you obtain trademark protection in the U.S. for your label.

Proprietary Designation And Appellations: Meeting Regulatory Requirements

Registering a trademark is not the only piece of this process, however. Companies must also ensure that their trademarks, slogans and marketing campaigns meet regulatory requirements. For wine and spirit labels, there are also U.S. regulations such as labeling requirements that govern the use of the designation “organic,” which are separate and apart from international standards, and are integral to your message and image.

State laws vary on proprietary geographical designations for your wine label. For example, in California, 100 percent of the grapes must come from in state. However, since 1983, state law requires that in order to state a specific appellation (e.g., Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley), 85 percent of the grapes must derive from that named AVA (American Viticultural Area).

A company may choose to have more than one brand, and different product lines with different price points. Whether you are a vineyard owner with several established wine labels, a distillery, brew pub or microbrewery with many different product brands, we help secure protection for each of your brands along with the goodwill they carry for your company.

Contact Our Attorneys

For more information about legal protection for wine labels, restaurants, food and beverage companies, or any trademark or brand name for your business, schedule an initial consultation with Gabor & Marotta LLC. For restaurants, vineyards, distilleries and microbreweries, we offer special incentives and on-site visits. Contact our New York lawyers online. You may also call our Manhattan office at 212-349-1200 or our Staten Island office at 718-390-0555.