Wall Street protesters: We're in for the long haul

[Admiral Yi]

I have to put up with snobs who protest when I say I'm drinking champagne.

So stop calling it champagne and you won't have this problem.

[crazy canuck]

Now if you can get tattooed, dreadlocked protestors storming down Wall Street protesting the inequities of Champagne and Prosecco marketing in America, I'd be impressed. 

My time is short at the moment but I will see what I can do.

[Malthus]

In Russia, bologna or what passes for bologna is called "Doctor's sausage".

anyone else think Soylent green?

I was thinking more of a sexual harrasment suit before the College of Physicians. 

[DGuller]

If champagne not produced in Champagne should be called "sparkling wine", then shouldn't BMWs not produced in Bavaria be called "douchemobiles"?

[HVC]

I wouldn't diss prosecco. It makes for a nice drink that goes well with a meal.

don't you put ice cubes in your wine?

[crazy canuck]

I wouldn't diss prosecco. It makes for a nice drink that goes well with a meal.

don't you put ice cubes in your wine?

[Sheilbh]

So, what's the significance of this? Are you arguing that people in NA should stop selling sausage named "Bologna"?

Not at all.  But your 'generic' example is actually different in ingredients and method of production than what's sold in North America.  I think that tends to happen when a product becomes a generic rather than a specific variation.  Mortadella Bologna is a specific variation of a sort of sausage made in various parts of Italy.  Bologna in NA is a mass-produced product.  They're different things and it's good their names reflect that.

Having said that I think there's probably a few Italian-American foods in New York and the like that should be protected.

While this is true, it does not address the argument as to whether it is a good idea.

I've addressed that elsewhere and you disagree. 

I'm just saying Russia and Alberta are the places that commonly refer to sparkling wines as champagne regardless of their provenance.  They're outliers on this.

I wouldn't diss prosecco. It makes for a nice drink that goes well with a meal.

Prosecco's like brandy for me.  It is a nice drink but the people who drink it in bars aren't. 

[Malthus]

Not at all.  But your 'generic' example is actually different in ingredients and method of production than what's sold in North America.  I think that tends to happen when a product becomes a generic rather than a specific variation.  Mortadella Bologna is a specific variation of a sort of sausage made in various parts of Italy.  Bologna in NA is a mass-produced product.  They're different things and it's good their names reflect that.

So, using that as a template, the term "champagne" is the generic term and something more specific ought to be used to designate Champagne (made in that region of France).

I'm just saying Russia and Alberta are the places that commonly refer to sparkling wines as champagne regardless of their provenance.  They're outliers on this.
...

Prosecco's like brandy for me.  It is a nice drink but the people who drink it in bars aren't.

I like your approach. There is no legal principle that cannot be proved by an appeal to snobbery. 

But seriously - as I said, it's in the dictionary.

[MadImmortalMan]

Maybe I'll send a bottle of real champagne to the protesters courtesy of Languish.

[crazy canuck]

Maybe I'll send a bottle of real champagne to the protesters courtesy of Languish.

Just dont send them a bottle of prosecco and call it Champagne.  It might cause a riot.

[Sheilbh]

So, using that as a template, the term "champagne" is the generic term and something more specific ought to be used to designate Champagne (made in that region of France).

We disagreed on this area.  I said sparkling wine's the generic.

I like your approach. There is no legal principle that cannot be proved by an appeal to snobbery. 

It works for me

But seriously - as I said, it's in the dictionary.

Dictionaries reflect usage.  They're descriptive, that's all. 

People use it in that way that doesn't mean that the makers and consumers of champagne should lose protection.

[Admiral Yi]

Maybe I'll send a bottle of real champagne to the protesters courtesy of Languish.

Fuck that noise.  Send it that copper in the white shirt who was swinging his baton like a banshee.

[Malthus]

Dictionaries reflect usage.  They're descriptive, that's all. 

People use it in that way that doesn't mean that the makers and consumers of champagne should lose protection.

Yes it does - if the protection worked anything like trademarks. Common usage makes a mark generic, which destroys the protection.

The point here is that you cannot go around IP-protecting words that people already use in general speech to mean a whole class of things. It would be absurd.

[HVC]

you can have champagne, but stay away from port


Also, the best part about fighting over champagne is that until better glass was discover "sparkling wine" was a huge fault that everyone was trying to avoid.

[frunk]

Hmm, if champagne isn't the generic then how do I know what champagne is?  If they want to preserve their specificity it should be:

"CHAMPAGNE, a sparkling wine beverage"