According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, Swissness Enforcement (SE) – an association campaigning for compliance with the legislation protecting the indication of Swiss origin – lodged a complaint with the Chinese authorities, pointing out that On uses the Swiss national symbol on shoes produced in Asia. This would constitute a violation of “Swissness” standards.
In a letter sent to SE, of which the Awp agency has become aware, On defends itself: the Swiss cross is only used in conjunction with the words “Swiss Engineering”.
This emphasises On’s Zurich location, where more than 300 employees are involved in research, development and shoe design. “The law does not prohibit the use of the Swiss cross in this context, as long as it is clear that it refers to the specific performance and not to the entire product,” the company argues.
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Is Swiss footwear brand On getting too greedy for its own good?
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The Zurich-based firm has been accused of making high profits at the expense of Vietnamese workers and Swiss customers.
On also describes SE’s action as “a one-off event that looks like a farce”. According to the Zurich-based company, the dispute should be resolved through the Swiss courts: dealing with it in China would send “a fatal signal” and expose other Swiss companies to business risks.
The shoe manufacturer also refers in this context to the geopolitical situation: in times of increasing pressure, customs regimes, instability and global competition, it would be problematic to take the debate abroad. It would weaken the unity and credibility of Switzerland as a business location, it argued.
Swissness Enforcement disagrees. In a letter sent to On and viewed by Awp, the organisation points out that only verifications were carried out in China and that the Chinese authorities acted ex officio. It is also argued that the use of the cross on shoes produced abroad is abusive.
The outcome of the diatribe appears uncertain. On insists on a clarification before the Swiss courts, while Swissness Enforcement wants concrete proposals for a solution. Both sides have announced further talks. The outcome of the conflict could have a major impact on other Swiss companies that use the Swiss cross for their advertising abroad.
Translated from Italian by DeepL/jdp
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