[Wikipedia-l] larousse.wikipedia.org?

[Alex R.]

Andre Engels" <engels at uni-koblenz.de wrote:
>
> It's a bad example anyway, because 'Champagne' is not a trademark. A
trademark
> is owned by a single company (although it might allow others to use it).
> "Champagne" is a _product name_ (and the European Union has specified that
> only when it is created in a certain region, the product name may be
used).
>
> Andre Engels

Trademarks do not have to be owned by a business entity, they may be owned
by
trade association, or regional governments and be licensed to be used by
people
who conform with the standards that the body is promulgating including the
place
of origin of the goods (commonly called appellation of origin trademarks)
 Here is the text of sec. 2 of the definition of certification mark, a type
of trademark:

2. In this Act,
"certification mark" «marque de certification»

"certification mark" means a mark that is used for the purpose of
distinguishing
or so as to distinguish wares or services that are of a defined standard
with
respect to

(a) the character or quality of the wares or services,

(b) the working conditions under which the wares have been produced or the
services performed,

(c) the class of persons by whom the wares have been produced or the
services
performed, or

(d) the area within which the wares have been produced or the services
performed,

from wares or services that are not of that defined standard.