On 18 January 2023, the Court of Appeal of Milan (the “Court”) issued its decision (the “Decision”) in the appeal brought by the Consortium for the protection of Aceto Balsamico di Modena (the “Consortium”) against a vinegar manufacturer for the use of the sign “Acetaia del Balsamico” (the “Sign”). The Consortium claimed that the use of the sign consisted of an evocation, prohibited under Article 13(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs, of the protected geographical indication (PGI) “Aceto Balsamico di Modena”. The Court dismissed the appeal brought by the Consortium, holding that the sign did not infringe the “Aceto Balsamico di Modena” PGI, as the terms “Aceto”, “Balsamico” and “Aceto Balsamico” consist of generic terms with no geographical meaning. Therefore, they are not capable of evoking the image of the “Aceto Balsamico di Modena” PGI in the mind of the average European consumer. The Decision is consistent with the decision issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-432/18 (“Balema”) and Italian case-law on the protectability of the term “Balsamico” via evocation under Regulation No. 1151/2012.