More Holes Than Cheese: PDOs, Evocation and a Possible Solution

Despite many years having passed since the first EC Regulation on geographical indications, some issues still need to be solved, like the meaning and applicability of the concept of evocation. Starting from the case of the Italian cheese Pecorino Sardo, the paper focuses on the legal nature of the protection and the coexistence of opposite rights: intellectual property, economic initiative, and consumers’ right to make informed choices. The conclusions will identify a solution at a practical level rather than at a regulatory one.