麻豆社

People try to copyright all sorts of things all the time, to protect a new invention or design. It's how you stop other people copying what you've done. But can you copyright a taste?

The European Union's highest court, the Court of Justice, has ruled that you cannot. The decision came after a Dutch company called Levola tried to claim a monopoly on the taste of its Heks'nkaas cheese spread. It's made from cream cheese, vegetables and herbs, including parsley, leek and garlic.

The people behind Heks'nkaas though were unhappy about the similarity of a cheese dip made by a rival Dutch firm called Smilde and sued. We spoke to Tobias Cohen Jehoram, a lawyer working for Smilde, and asked how the victory felt.

(Image: Woman eats a slice of cheese. Credit: Getty Images)