Join Us!
Click here to download our membership invitation and application
You should Join AOPA if you are:
- an owner of geographically distinctive trademarks, certification and collective marks,
- a representative of a product subject to a Marketing Order,
- a representative of a product defined by an AVA or political appellation,
- a representative of a product defined as a distinctive type of distilled spirits.
The uncertainty of the current US legal framework for distinctive product names might affect you negatively, in terms of high enforcement costs at home and problems to get recognition and protection in key export markets. In order to protect their distinctive product names, even well-established products such as Napa Valley Wine, Vidalia Onion and Idaho Potato have waged fierce, expensive legal battles to protect their distinctive product names against fraud in our own country – and in overseas trade. Furthermore, such a system will give a fighting chance to thousands of producers to promote and protect their distinctive product names, thereby preserving our country’s agricultural and culinary heritage.
Because of the risk of high litigation costs to protect their distinctive product name, AOP stakeholders cannot afford to stand by and be complacent. We believe they need to organize themselves, become educated about the risk and act together to become the leading voice for how distinctive product names will be protected in trade negotiations that could greatly impact their future. The AOPA is developing a nationwide network of distinctive product names stakeholders to help address these issues. With a unified group of like-minded farmers facing the same issues of fraud, unfair competition and lack of recognition, the AOPA has the potential to solve its members’ problems collectively. The pooled resources of our members will allow us to achieve such objectives in an efficient way.
