Mumm's the word

With centuries of history poured into every bottle, G. H. Mumm has long been a figurehead for Champagne connoisseurs. But while it has roots stretching back to the 12th century, 1876 was the turning point for this landmark brand.

It was then that founding father Georges Hermann Mumm had every bottle embellished with the red ribbon that is now an iconic feature of this Cuvée Brut. A nod to France’s Légion d’honneur, it became so famous that it functioned as a trademark in its own right.This is where Abel + Imray stepped in, including filing marks for the most famous Cordon Rouge (or ‘Red Label’) trademark.

Meanwhile, if you were in the Abel + Imray offices in the 1990s, you may have seen two bottles on a filing cabinet. One was an infringing item, and the other the genuine article – for celebrating a successful passing off case.