Olive oil has been produced and used for millennia, predominantly in the Mediterranean area. While mostly used for cooking, it is also found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soaps, and is even used as fuel in oil lamps. The ancient Greek poet and writer Homer defined olive oil as “liquid gold”, a term still used today.
Spain is the biggest producer of olive oil, accounting for over 40% of world production. About 80% of Spanish olive oil is produced in the region of Andalusia, the same region where, 80 years ago, Mr. Mateo Muela Velasco founded Muela Olives S.L (known as Mueloliva). His aim was to produce olive oil respecting traditional methods and to avoid mass production that could potentially reduce the quality of the end product.
Internationally awarded and sustainable extra virgin olive oil
Headquartered in Priego de Córdoba, in the Cordovan Subbetica mountain range, Muela Olives produces its olive oil at 650 meters above sea level, in a microclimate that helps produce a truly unique product.
They extract the olive oil without adding heat or water, thereby maintaining all the benefits of extra virgin olive oil. They also pack the oil in their own facilities to avoid any possible alteration during transportation.
With a team of 70 employees, and thanks to supplies from over 4,000 independent farmers, they crush 400,000 kilograms of olives each day; 50 million every harvest. Every year Muela Olives produces over 20 million liters of high-quality olive oil.
Muela Olives works independently, and following a traditional production system, to create diverse types of olive oil for their own brands. They produce several types of olive oils (extra virgin, refined, olive-pomace oil), as well as avocado, sunflower, soy and other types of vegetable oils. Their six brands have received over 150 awards in 17 different countries, from recognized institutions such as NYOOC –New York Olive Oil Competition - or Great Taste London. Prizes include “best AOVE” (extra-virgin olive oil) which they have won for four consecutive years.
Apart from being hugely popular in Spain, Muela Olives also exports to very diverse markets. They currently operate in some 50 countries worldwide. They are notably leaders in olive oil exports to the Asian market.
How does WIPO’s Madrid System help Muela Olives protect its trademarks?
The Madrid System has been helping Muela Olives in their endeavor to bring high-quality olive oil to so many areas of the world for more than three decades.
Muela Olives has four active brands registered through the Madrid System, the oldest dating from 1988. Although only a medium-sized company, Muela Olives has not been discouraged from expanding overseas. They are currently present in many Asian countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore, as well as in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and North America – including Colombia, Mexico, Cuba and the U.S. They even export olive oil to Australia and New Zealand.
To register a brand in so many different countries, companies – not least small and medium sized companies such as Muela Olives – really benefit from a centralized system through which they can file and manage international registrations in one go, and avoid long administrative processes, as well as the need for legal representation in each country. WIPO’s Madrid System helps all types of companies, from small to large, to register their brands in up to 128 countries, by filing just one application (in English, French or Spanish), and by paying one set of fees (in Swiss Francs).
Muela Olives and the Madrid System in practice
Mueloliva (international registration numbers 1336337 and 524853)
Mueloliva is the best-known and oldest brand of the company. It includes different types of olive oils such as picuda (a traditional variety from Cordoba), mild, olive-pomace and classic. The picuda variety of Mueloliva has received over 60 awards in 12 different countries, and remains one of the brand’s most characteristic products.
The trademark is registered under classes 29 and 30 of the Nice classification, which includes edible oils and fats; prepared olives and pickles (class 29) and vinegar; sauces and mayonnaise (class 30).
A passion for tradition that bears fruit
In their own words, Muela Olives has “grown through generations thanks to tradition, family values, a passion for olive oil and a love for doing things right”. Though the world keeps changing, and modern techniques and tools often take over from traditional processes, they have seen the value in using traditional methods that respect the product to the maximum and bring out the best of the worldwide-valued “liquid gold”.
