EU full of Picky Eaters

[Drake Tungsten]

God, Eurocoms sure are whiny *****es.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
God, Eurocoms sure are whiny *****es.

Yep. Indians and Ceylonese sure are too.

In this age of copyright, it sure is right to forbid anyone to develop vital medication from your research, but it is utterly wrong to defend your local food products, and to make sure they can be sold abroad

For some strange reason, I see nobody from the US talking about how real Parma Ham was banned from sale in Canada, because a Canadian fake had trademarked the name Parma Ham before... Care to explain why it is so great and so right ?

[vee4473]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Simple. For now, there is nearly no good American food that is well known abroad. The US only exports its crap (Mc Donald's and Burger King), so foreign companies won't use American location names to make their product more attractive (you won't see a "Phoenix Ham" abroad, whereas you see "Parma Ham" in the US).

But as the US get older, and as the American cuisine becomes better, some good products will emerge and will ultimately be linked to the location where they're produced. For example, one day, some Californian wines enter the competition of the very best. "California" will be a name associated with quality, the same way "Bordeaux" or "Champagne" are today.
By that time, China will probably sell some vinegar, calling it (and trademarking it inside its borders) "Californian". Not only will that taint the prestigious name of California into luring the Chinese consumer California is such crap, it will also bar real Calfornian producers to sell their quality wine in the Chinese market

I understand what you are saying, but it
still would never be the overriding concern in my life.

I think that the market eventually weeds the bad from the good, and people eventually learn the good brands from the bad.

in the case of wine, the bottle clearly states where the wine grapes were grown. So if i see a bottle marked "burgundy", but the label says California (or Oregon or Australia which are better I think), I already am under no false pretense that the wine ever came anywhere near France.

And most better American wineries already do respect the location naming thing.

Most better wineries will label a wine "pinot noir" instead "burgundy", since even though the exact same grapejuice is in the bottle (I think the grape used in "burgundy" is pinot noir), they respect the the fact that it wasn't made IN burgundy, france and therefore name the wine after the grape variety itself, pinot noir.

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by Spiffor
I'm sure you Yanks would hate it if some local Cola brand was called "Coca Cola" while tasting different. And I'm sure you'd understand why your government will try to stop it.

It's funny you should mention this. Here in Japan, they sell a cheap knock-off of Coca-Cola known as "American Cola." Now, if I was a Eurocom I would probably whine about this "fraud" and go on ad nauseum about how this product reflects badly on the real American cola made in my country. However, since I'm an American I don't really give a **** about it. We're not elitist *****.

I sure as hell don't want the American government going after some harmless cola company in Japan. That would just be ridiculous.

[Drake Tungsten]

For some strange reason, I see nobody from the US talking about how real Parma Ham was banned from sale in Canada, because a Canadian fake had trademarked the name Parma Ham before... Care to explain why it is so great and so right ?

Why the hell would Americans comment on Canadian policy? We don't care about Canada...

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Why the hell would Americans comment on Canadian policy?

Well, you're whining for more than 7 pages now on European policy

[Drake Tungsten]

The European policy is trying to screw over American food producers. We wouldn't give a **** if you guys just limited your stupid laws to your continent.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The European policy is trying to screw over American food producers. We wouldn't give a **** if you guys just limited your stupid laws to your continent.

At the contrary, you should be glad. We are trying to get you eat real Greek feta, instead of Danish hideous Feta We're doing everything possible to improve your quality of life and you're whining !

[vee4473]

I think the gray area comes in when you compare a company with a city.

Coca-Cola would have very right to sue because of a company trademark etc.., but should a city have the same right? maybe, maybe not

I mean, a fake coca cola company would be profitting off of the name of the real company.

I know alot of you are trying to say it's the same thing....that fake parma ham companies in Canada are profitting off of the name and denying the real parma ham makers profit...

but, until an italian company actually makes a product called "genuine Italian parma" or something, and THEN someone uses that name, I don't think this is a good comparison.

It would be like every chicago deep dish pizzeria wanting to sue the company Di Giorno for their new "chicago deep dish" frozen umm...pizza... by the same name.

but because chicago deep dish is just a style of pizza and not an actual company brand or such thing, they just can't i don't think.

Prosciutto de Parma is just a ham made in a particular style in Parma, that's all. It's damn tasty, but since it just is a style of ham, and not a brand name, it's not the same comparison.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
Spiffor, real feta is made of sheep's milk, not goat's milk as far as I know.

This is true. It was a lingual mistake from me, because I thought the "goat" was the female of the "sheep". Real Feta is indeed made of sheep milk, not goat. I apologize for the repeated mistake.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by vee4473
It would be like every chicago deep dish pizzeria wanting to sue the company Di Giorno for their new "chicago deep dish" frozen umm...pizza... by the same name.

but because chicago deep dish is just a style of pizza and not an actual company brand or such thing, they just can't i don't think.

In the current state of affair, sure. But shouldn't it change ? If these pizzaguys feel a prestige or financial loss is due to this frozen pizza (should it be subpar), shouldn't they ask for compensation, or shouldn't they have the improper name removed ?

[Drake Tungsten]

But shouldn't it change ? If these pizzaguys feel a prestige or financial loss is due to this frozen pizza (should it be subpar), shouldn't they ask for compensation, or shouldn't they have the improper name removed?

No. That would be stupid.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
No. That would be stupid.

I take it you'd think a company forcing another not to use their trademarked name is "stupid" too ? It is the exact same reasoning.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Spiffor

This is true. It was a lingual mistake from me, because I thought the "goat" was the female of the "sheep". Real Feta is indeed made of sheep milk, not goat. I apologize for the repeated mistake.

No hard feelings. By the way, I eat (Danish) Feta 5-6 days a week. It's great in any sallad. The Greek original is even better, but harder to get (here).

[Drake Tungsten]

It is the exact same reasoning.

No it isn't. A trademarked product name is a completely different thing from a non-trademarked name describing a type of food. "Chicago deep dish" isn't a term you can reserve only for certain brands of pizza.