The Russians stole the Ukrainian geographical brand "Melitopol Cherry"
![The Russians stole the Ukrainian geographical brand](/uploads/files/news/-1720960943.jpg)
The Ukrainian geographical indication "Melitopol cherry" was registered in the Russian register. The registration indicates the Russian affiliation of the brand. This was reported by the Rospatent intellectual property service.
According to the collaborator Dmytro Vorona, who at one time was a deputy minister in three Ukrainian ministries, and then switched to the side of the enemy, the appropriation of the Ukrainian brand is aimed at "better integrating" the occupied territories into Russia. In turn, Rospatent stated that it is not going to stop only at cherries and will continue to steal other Ukrainian geographical indications.
It should be noted that the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia region, has been under Russian occupation since February 26, 2022.
We will remind that in September 2019, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on the protection of geographical names of goods. Geographical indication in the draft law refers to a name that identifies a product that originates from a specific geographic location and that has a special quality, reputation, or other characteristics associated with the place of origin. Ukraine has undertaken to protect European geographical names from counterfeiting. Ukrainian brand names have also received legal protection in the European Union (Hutsul sheep cheese, Melitopol cherry, Transcarpathian wine, Carpathian honey, Kherson watermelon, etc.).