"Swiss made" receives more protection

 The Federal Council wants to provide better protection for the term «Switzerland» and the Swiss cross. To that end, it launched a consultation process on Wednesday regarding the legislative proposal known as «Swissness.» Cases of misuse of designations such as «Swiss Quality» or the Swiss cross are on the rise, the Federal Council wrote on Wednesday. It now intends to establish more precise regulations. Until now, the Swiss cross has not been permitted on goods, but its use is allowed for services. «All companies that have been using the Swiss cross on their products are actually violating the current Coat of Arms Protection Act,» says Felix Addor of the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. «The law is now to be amended so that Swiss companies can legally use the Swiss cross.» However, the goal is to have clear regulations in place. Only products that truly originate from Switzerland should be allowed to bear the cross. Action against misuse will be taken more consistently once the new law actually goes into effect. The Swiss coat of arms—that is, the Swiss cross within a shield—remains the exclusive property of the Swiss Confederation.
Under the new rules, the Swiss share of a product’s manufacturing costs must be at least 60 percent for the product to be considered of Swiss origin. For various categories of goods, specific requirements are also set forth regarding the connection that must exist between the product and its place of origin. In addition, enforcement will be strengthened: In cases of misuse of the designation «Switzerland» and the Swiss cross within the country, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property will be able to file criminal charges and participate in the proceedings.