Australian honey producers say the withdrawal of courtroom proceedings by a New Zealand group attempting to trademark the “manuka” title is a serious win.
New Zealand’s Manuka Honey Appellation Society (MHAS) had been preventing within the UK High Court to cease Australian producers utilizing the phrase “manuka” when exporting their product.
“We have been formally notified through our lawyers and barristers in the UK that the MHAS has withdrawn their high court application,” the Australian Manuka Honey Association’s Paul Callander stated.
The trademark problem would have stopped producers outdoors New Zealand from utilizing the manuka title.
The worldwide manuka honey market is forecast to be price about $1.27 billion in annual commerce by 2027.
Manuka honey merchandise can promote for as much as $A500 per kilogram.
Mr Callander stated there was rising demand for manuka honey for each consumption and medicinal use.
He stated the choice means Australian producers can proceed to promote manuka honey within the UK and Europe.
“So there are no restraints on us selling our product under our current name manuka in those markets,” Mr Callander informed AAP.
The New Zealanders had been difficult a earlier ruling by the UK Intellectual Property Office, which had rejected their bid for unique use of the manuka title.
The case was resulting from be heard this month, in what had turn into a bitter trans-Tasman dispute.
Mr Callander stated that they had been preventing for the previous 5 years to proceed utilizing the manuka title, and declared the choice as a win.
“This is a certification trademark based on … trying to a trademark a plant,” he stated.
“That plant … Australia has got over 80 species around the country and it is clearly native to Australia … and one of those species is in New Zealand.”
Both sides are nonetheless awaiting the result of a New Zealand trademark utility by that was heard by the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office in 2021.
