Pisco Power: India Grants Dual Rights to Peru & Chile

A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court has ruled that both Peru and Chile can jointly claim the name 'PISCO' for their grape-based liquor. The court mandated that bottles must clearly indicate the origin to prevent consumer confusion, establishing a dual-identity regime. This decision upholds earlier rulings denying Peru sole ownership of the name and confirms Chile's right to label its product as "Chilean PISCO", while Peru's will be "Peruvian PISCO".

The ruling stems from a two-decade legal dispute that began when Peru sought Geographical Indication (GI) protection for 'PISCO' in 2005. Chilean producers objected, leading to a complex legal process. A single-judge Bench had previously characterized 'PISCO' as a case of homonymous geographical indications, permitting shared rights if differentiation prevents consumer confusion, a stance now affirmed by the Division Bench.