Memes

Off the top of my head I can name three products unique to my country which we made sure to DOP (Protected Origin Denomination). These are:

Vinho do Porto (Port Wine)

Queijo Serra da Estrela (Serra da Estrela Cheese) This is a cheese made from sheeps milk, that is specially made using a plant extract for curdling and has to be buttery in consistency; if solid, by aging, it needs to be hard as a rock yet brittle when cut

Queijo S. Jorge (Saint Jorge Cheese) this one is essentially our version of parmesan cheese, very hard and salty, aged a minimum of 6 months to years

Every single one of these products is unique, as it has specific production techniques and quality parameters that need to be observed and need to be manufactured in specific regions in order to receive the DOP seal yet we knock off these products ourselves.

There is no need for a specific producer to protect their product with complex and sophisticated techniques like the one in the post because rules are established in seat of law and the seal obtention follows very strict proceedings and regular inspections and quality control.

The knock offs are often manufactured by DOP producers. The end product is similar if not the same as the DOP but fails to observe some minute parameter, like not using a specific milk or variety of grape, with no loss of quality to the end consumer and often at the same price.

Counterfeiting these products is a crime but between the specific and controlled labels, it is just not worth the hassle. And internationally, it is even less worth it. South Africa knocks off Port Wine, produced by descendants of portuguese there; we sat down with their Chamber of Commerce and agreed they could call it Port like or Port style but not Port: they sell theirs, using our tradition and reputation, and cross advertise the original.

Everybody wins.