Plymouth eyes 'World's Cheese Capitol' title

Plymouth wants to make its title of "World's Cheese Capitol" official.

Just one problem: Someone else already holds the state trademark on a very similar phrase.

During a recent meeting of the city's Redevelopment Authority, Chairman Lee Gentine brought up the idea of trademarking the phrase "World's Cheese Capitol" for use in city marketing materials and tourism.

Plymouth — home to Sargento, Sartori, Masters Gallery and a Great Lakes Cheese "cut and wrap" facility — has previously used the phrase, according to Gentine. He said that he's seen photos from the 1940s and '50s that indicated the slogan was used on billboards near the entrance to the town.

"Our feeling is that it's something that Plymouth has used for many, many years, but we've just let it die on the vine," Gentine said. "I think our goal from a community standpoint is to resurrect that and try to make that particular slogan ours as a reason to create Plymouth as a destination."

A quick check of registered trademarks on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database shows no one has registered that phrase at the federal level.

Gentine said, however, that the trademark on that phrase has already been registered at the state level.

Documents from the Wisconsin Secretary of State's office, which used to handle registration of trademarks, indicate that "Cheese Capitol of the World" is registered to a company called "Language Links LLC" out of Denmark, Wis., and Green Bay.

That company is owned by Tom Wall, who also runs Dairy Interactive. Wall, who calls himself the "Dairy Coach" on his personal website, sells instructional videos and software to help dairy farmers better organize and manage their milking operations. He also writes and talks about management and leadership in the dairy industry.

In an email, Wall confirmed that he holds the Wisconsin registered trademark on the phrase "Cheese Capitol of the World." Other phrases Wall has registered under his company's name are "Where Great Milk Makes Great Cheese," "Delicious and Nutritious" and "A Cow for All Seasons."

Wall said that he plans on using those phrases in his marketing materials going forward and has no plans to relinquish them.

Gentine said he had already talked to Plymouth's Chamber of Commerce about using the "cheese capitol" phrase on marketing materials for the city to establish a pattern of usage.

Since Wall doesn't seem to have used the phrase recently, the city might have a claim to its use if they've established its use on brochures and social media, Gentine said. But he also acknowledged that Wall may challenge that usage given his previous registration.

If that happens, Gentine said, they may have to negotiate for the rights to usage.

Wall said he would have to think about giving up the name.

"I've invested a sizable amount of time and money with graphic designers, marketing professionals, etc. over the years and I'm still working on it," Wall said in an email.

—Reach Jason Smathers at 920-453-5167.