Taking Products At Face Value: Trademarks And Origin

We know that the purpose of a trademark is to indicate the commercial origin of a product or service, allowing consumers to make free and informed purchasing decisions, but what happens when a trademark implies a geographical origin that is not accurate? Recent activities in the United States have brought this question to the forefront as the use of placenames in trademarks comes under close scrutiny.

When pasta says, "Basta!"

Barilla proudly proclaims itself to be "Italy's #1 brand of pasta," and with good cause. According to international wholesaler of Italian consumer goods, Bell Italia, Barilla is "the biggest pasta producer in the world (40-45% of the Italian market and 25% of the U.S. market)." And if that was not enough, Statista observed that in 2017, Barilla was the most widely available pasta brand in Italian supermarkets, lining the selves of 98 percent of pasta aisles.