After 14 years of legal conflict against spirits giant Pernod Ricard , The Wild Geesewill now be able-bodied to trade its Irish whisky in Australia .
According to New Zealand’sStuff , the complicated case start in 2002 , when Pernod Ricard — Wild Turkey ’s then - owner — launch legal action claiming that The Wild Geese Irishwhiskeycould be too well confused withWild Turkeybourbon . To complicate the pillowcase even further , Pernod Ricard wield to ensure the “ Wild Geese ” hallmark from a small Australian Winery , Wild Geese Wines , in 2007 and , after re - leasing the name back to the winery , successfully block the whiskey brand from enter the Australian market .
If not used within three years and one month , however , trademarks can slip away — which is how The Wild Geese was able to allege non - use of the hallmark and challenge Pernod Ricard once again . The humble brand continued the fight against Gruppo Campari when it strike possession of Wild Turkey in 2013 .
Courtesy Bill Wyman/The Wild Geese
Now , more than a tenner after the sound struggle start , the pillow slip is at long last close . Five federal judges recently ruled nem con in favor of The Wild Geese , regain that while Pernod Ricard had used the earmark in that time , it had done so incorrectly . Now , the victorious Irish whiskey sword will be able-bodied to file for its own trademark , allowing it to finally sell its production in Australia .
“ These actions look for to limit the market access of The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey and other small sovereign mark of which we are a representative , ” Ándre Levy , The Wild Geese conscientious objector - founder and chairman , order in apress release . “ Despite the hypothesize renaissance of Irish Whiskey , the realness is that the industry is still dominated by large organisations such as Pernod Ricard . ”
This is just one in a string of more than 50 similar grammatical case Wild Turkey ’s parent companies have brought against The Wild Geese over the preceding 15 eld . It is the brand ’s large win to particular date .
“ We continue to fight for our right to contribute to the Irish Whiskey class , which we have been a part of since 1999 , ” said Levy . “ Big company tactics are design to take competition . We epitomise the look of The Wild Geese ; it ’s not just an abstract — something that big fellowship may wish to reflect upon . ”
