The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey has welcomed the unanimous decision of the Federal Court of Australia that will enable the independent global Irish whiskey brand to enter the Australian market.
Australian Federal Court judges to found in favour of an appeal by the company concerning the non-use of trade marks by Wild Turkey.
The appeal relates to the last attempt by Pernod Ricard, then owners of Wild Turkey, to prevent The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey from market entry into the Irish Whiskey category.
Overall this activity comprised several geographies and over 50 actions over 14 years, following the refusal by The Wild Geese to comply with Pernod Ricard’s demands that it be granted the right of veto where The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey could be sold in competition with Jameson.
Ándre Levy, co-founder and chairman, The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey, commented: “This is an important day for us and the Irish whiskey industry as a whole. We continue to fight for our right to contribute to the Irish Whiskey category, which we have been a part of since 1999.”
He continued: “Therefore, to ensure our continued growth and success, we have been forced to buy Irish whiskey at a premium from third parties who have been able to access whiskey that we are unable to purchase directly from large producers.”