If the possibilities of objection and appeal are exhausted, the IPI’s decision on registration takes legal effect. The denomination is entered in the federal register for an indefinite period. This register is freely accessible to the public and contains the product specification as well as other information (such as the contact details of the certification body).

All producers who fulfil the requirements of the product specification and undergo the specified control procedure are permitted to use a denomination registered as a PAO or a PGI. For Swiss PAOs and PGIs, this control procedure is carried out by a certification body.

If the protected denomination is not used or if the product specification is not respected, this may constitute grounds for cancelling the registration. The extended protection afforded to a denomination through its registration as a PAO or PGI allows producers concerned and their representative associations to prompt the courts to stop any use of the denomination that does not conform to the product specification of the PAO or PGI. In the case of violation, monetary penalties or custodial sentences may also be imposed in accordance with the Trade Mark Protection Act (Title 3 Legal Protection).

You can send your questions concerning appellations of origin and geographical indications for non-agricultural products by email to origin.admin@ekomm.ipi.ch.

Requests to register or amend a product specification for a PAO or PGI for a non-agricultural product as well as oppositions to the registration or amendment to a product specification for a PAO or PGI can be sent to the IPI by post or by email to origin.admin@ekomm.ipi.ch (see the Terms of Use for the Electronic Submissions Process by Email, PDF).