Prosecco.com Owner Sues Italian Standards Body to Keep Domains

The owner of prosecco-related web domains including prosecco.com sued the Italian body that governs the sparkling wine’s geographic labeling, asking a Virginia federal court to declare its domain registrations valid under US law.

Best Drinks LLC’s use of the domains doesn’t violate any trademark rights of Consorzio Di Tutela Della Denominazione Di Origine Controllata Prosecco, the company said in a complaint filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Prosecco DOC in August initiated litigation in the UK to force the transfer of the domains, despite failing to register “Prosecco” as a trademark with the ...