Lebanon Claiming Only It Owns Hummus, Falafel, Tabouleh And Baba Gannouj

from the make-it-stop dept

Another day, another ridiculous intellectual property lawsuit. Along the same lines as various regions in France declaring that only they can sell "Champagne" or Greece being the only one allowed to offer "feta," a group in Lebanon is claiming that various popular middle eastern foods such as hummus, falafel, tabouleh and baba gannouj are property of Lebanon and Lebanon alone. In fact, the group is planning to sue Israel for "stealing" its food. They're actually claiming that this could be a violation of a "food copyright" (something that doesn't actually exist). Specifically, the group says that since Israel sells such foods, it's taking "tens of millions of dollars" away from Lebanon, where those foods should be bought. This, folks, is what happens when you build up a society around the idea of "owning" infinite goods.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: baba gannouj, falafel, food, food copyright, hummus, intellectual property, lebanon, tabouleh, trademark


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. icon
    Xyro TR1 (profile), 8 Oct 2008 @ 10:33am

    Amazing

    I haven't laughed at a TechDirt article like that in a long time. People are SO FUNNY! Food copyrights hahahahahaha.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Yosi, 8 Oct 2008 @ 10:59am

    Politics

    They already gave up an idea to sue Israel for last war damages. Instead, Lebanon came up with this ridiculous hummus idea.
    I think every single stand-up show in Israel already laughed on this one.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    mobiGeek, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:03am

    Absolutely ridiculous

    Everyone knows that all those foods are Turkish. Add to the list baklava, lokum, kefte, ...

    :-)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Joker, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:06am

    WHAT ABOUT MY FISH

    I still want to copyright my fish!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Adam, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:11am

    Food Copyrights

    Maybe Israel or NY should go after everyone who has bagels with LOX and Creamcheese.... (mmm, with lettuce, tomatoe and Onion). It's a Jewish thing! :)

    Food Copyrights, how assidine. Althought considering the redicoulous and firvalous patent / copyright infringment sutis that come out of our country, can you really blame other countries in the world from catching on?

    That... is a U.S.A. thing.

    Cheers!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    sehlat (profile), 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:13am

    Pay Up!

    OK. I've just trademarked the word "casserole" I'm sure all you pirating thieves have eaten one at one time or another, so pay up.

    Please send the money to P. O. Box 419, Lagos, Nigeria
    01-753-87-3853

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Ima Fish, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:18am

    Obligatory Simpsons quote:

    Helen: Hmm, Pita. Well, I don't know about food from the Middle East.
    Isn't that whole area a little iffy?
    Hostess: [laughs] Hey, I'm no geographer. You and I -- why don't we call it pocket bread, huh?
    Maude: [reading the ingredients list] Umm, what's tahini?
    Hostess: Flavor sauce.
    Edna: And falafel?
    Hostess: Crunch patties.
    Helen: So, we'd be selling foreign...
    Hostess: Specialty foods. Here, try a Ben Franklin.
    Helen: [takes a bite] Mmm, that is good. What's in it?
    Chef: [poking his head out of a window, looking of Indian origin]
    Tabbouleh and rezmi-kabob.
    Hostess: [trying to cover-up] Uh, th-that's our chef... Christopher.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:30am

    Re: Food Copyrights

    "Maybe Israel or NY should go after everyone who has bagels with LOX and Creamcheese.... (mmm, with lettuce, tomatoe and Onion). It's a Jewish thing! :)"


    Israel is not a religious state right? If they were we couldnt really keep giving them $6,000,000,000.00 a year could we?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    John Doe, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:33am

    I guess Mike will quit complaining about IP when he actually has some IP worth protecting?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Norm, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:34am

    The Lebanese can keep their bloody hummus. Nasty stuff.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    eleete, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:35am

    Who Do I Make this Check Out to ?

    Just got done munching on some freedom fries. Do I pay Bush, McDonalds or France ?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    sheltox, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:35am

    RE: Absolutely ridiculous

    Actually, those foods ARE Levantine (i.e. Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) in origin.

    Still a good laugh though.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    jeff, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:37am

    copyrights

    im suing Lebanon. I copyrighted the use of the letter e in a name. I want damages for everytim lebanon has used its name on a map,book or other item

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Funny Lebanon, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:41am

    sue for burgers

    maybe we should sue them for selling burgers and hotdogs...

    How pathetic

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:44am

    Re: sue for burgers

    Unfortunately, I think they only cook real food over there...

    *ducks*

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    fprintf, 8 Oct 2008 @ 11:45am

    Well..

    Well, those foods *are* originally from that area. Perhaps instead of copyright they should be trademarking the names. After all, you get nasty stuff like Baklava that the Greeks try to pass itself off as their own... and we all know that once Israeli's lay claim to something it takes a terrorist act to get it back. Think of this as a non-violent resistance to Israeli embrace-and-extend of everything from land grabs to food!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Ferin (profile), 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:05pm

    Re: WHAT ABOUT MY FISH

    Hooray for obscure cartoon references.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Simon Lynch, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:11pm

    mmm, champagne

    It's not often I find myself jumping to the defence of the French (well, almost never to tell the truth), but in this case I do need to point out a little bit of a problem in your example. You mention 'infinite' goods and it's pretty obvious that champagne is not 'infinite' in its production possibilities. The geographic region of Champagne is pretty definitely a place and so you can only grow so many grapes there (and the couple of wine-loving Americans I know wouldn’t touch the counterfeit stuff produced in the US, patriotic as they are). I think most people would agree that when ordering Napa Valley, we would be pretty disappointed to get served something produced in Alaska with imported grape juice...

    You can keep the feta as that is a word that refers to a type of cheese, so it is a bit dumb to specify where you can make it ;)

    Apart from that, you're right to pounce on yet another lump of IP stupidity.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    god, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:19pm

    dumb law's

    This is what happens when you have uderdeveloped humans who belive in god!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    Egg Planet Band, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:19pm

    mmm Baba Ganouch

    Good job my husband changed the name of their band from Baba Ganouch to Egg Planet LOL!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Art Brodsky, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:19pm

    burgers and fries

    I would like to volunteer on a contingency basis to be the city counsel for Hamburg, Germany, so that I can sue everyone for using the term Hamburger.

    Also, the French chief legal officer for using French Fries.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    J.Locke, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:21pm

    Just guessing here

    "I think most people would agree that when ordering Napa Valley, we would be pretty disappointed to get served something produced in Alaska with imported grape juice..."

    I think the point is "wine" does not tell one where a product was produced, only what it is (fermented fruit juice - with antifreeze if its French - hehe). Champange is really no different, it is simply wine with a second fermentation (for bubbles). So any producer should be able to call any product made in that fashion, "champaign" and leave it to the customer to determine where it comes from, just like we do with "pinot" or "merlot".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:23pm

    bahaha, food copyright...hahahahahaahahaha

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. identicon
    Jake, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:32pm

    If I may venture a guess, I reckon this started out as a false-advertising claim, some Israeli company claiming to be making hummus or whatever to an 'authentic Middle Eastern recipe' when in fact it consists largely of chemical additives, and a Lebanese company that does make it the old-fashioned way seeking some redress for being undercut. But someone at the Lebanese government with more opportunism than common sense has realised that this presents a golden opportunity to wind the Israeli government up a bit, and responded accordingly.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Serge, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:45pm

    Re:

    You guessed wrong, Jake.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. identicon
    mobiGeek, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:47pm

    Re: RE: Absolutely ridiculous

    those foods ARE Levantine

    Sorry, but I gotta say "Prove it".

    Actually, you can't. The origins of all those foods have been disputed forever; there simply is no one place from which they origin.

    All of the countries whose people claim to "own" these foods were populated by nomadic tribes. Later, the entire region became a hub for trade, brining in and moving out goods and culture over a wider and wider area.

    For most of these foods, the closest anyone could come to nailing down their origins would be "the middle east/mediterranean/north africa". Not overly narrow...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    guy one, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:52pm

    how

    how is this tech?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    KJ, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:53pm

    Re: Just guessing here

    A skilled sommelier could tell you which part of Champagne the grapes were grown in (in fact, sometimes which part of a particular vineyard). That's part of some of the sommelier exams.

    In this case the name is specific to the characteristics of the grapes grown in the particular soil conditions and weather conditions and produced by vintners with particular skills and techniques that are passed down from generation....well, you get the idea.

    I agree with Simon Lynch - selling "Champagne" from another geographical area is tantamount to fraud.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:57pm

    Re: how

    What's tech? This is a food and copyright blog don't you know (oh..and porn as of today)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Eliot, 8 Oct 2008 @ 12:59pm

    Re: mmm, champagne

    I agree with Simon. Some of this is rediculous, but champaigne is pretty much a brand name. Any schmuck can create a Big Mac (two patties, thousand island dressing, pickles, onions, lettuce, cheese on a 3 layer bun), but to call it a Big Mac would still be misleading.

    I feel a little dirty actually siding with France on something.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Ima Fish, 8 Oct 2008 @ 1:23pm

    Re: Re: mmm, champagne

    "champaigne is pretty much a brand name."

    Pretty much? Is that a new legal standard for trademarks, pretty much?

    And actually, it's not even close to being a brand name. It's a location.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    CVPunk, 8 Oct 2008 @ 2:03pm

    Re: Re: Re: mmm, champagne

    time for a toast... everyone got your glass of location?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    isc, 8 Oct 2008 @ 2:32pm

    Re: Re: Food Copyrights

    for the anonymous (and stupid) coward

    Here are the top 16 recipients of U.S. foreign aid for 2005:

    1. Israel 2.58 Billion
    2. Egypt 1.84 Billion
    3. Afganistan 0.98 Billion
    4. Pakistan 0.70 Billion
    5. Colombia 0.57 Billion
    6. Sudan 0.50 Billion
    7. Jordan 0.48 Billion
    8. Uganda 0.25 Billion
    9. Kenya 0.24 Billion
    10. Ethiopia 0.19 Billion
    11. South Africa 0.19 Billion
    12. Peru 0.19 Billion
    13. Indonesia 0.18 Billion
    14. Bolivia 0.18 Billion
    15. Nigeria 0.18 Billion
    16. Zambia 0.18 Billion

    source:
    CRS Report for Congress: Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S.
    Programs and Policy Updated January 19, 2005, page 14
    http://shelby.senate.gov/legislation/ForeignAid.pdf

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    Robert, 8 Oct 2008 @ 2:35pm

    mmm, champagne

    “And actually, it's not even close to being a brand name. It's a location” Although I must technically agree with the above statement, it is ultimately wrong with what I was implying where brand name should have been replaced with “type of wine”. Actually, Champagne is both a type of wine, an effervescent, as well as a location.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    Johnny Canada, 8 Oct 2008 @ 3:13pm

    French Fries are actually from Belgium. 'French' is a method of frying not the country of origin.

    If you have your 'Freadom Fries' with Mayonnaise that is Belgin.

    With vinagar that is from Quebec.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. identicon
    LostSailor, 8 Oct 2008 @ 3:33pm

    Not Infinite Goods

    This, folks, is what happens when you build up a society around the idea of "owning" infinite goods.

    Ah...no. This, folks, is what happens when you cross Middle Eastern political conflict with idiot lawyers.

    Or what happens when you try to stretch weak arguments against copyright to "infinite" extremes.

    It has nothing to do with "infinite goods." Hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush are not, in fact, infinite goods.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Oct 2008 @ 3:36pm

    Re: dumb law's

    Yes, all these uderdeveloped humans are indeed a problem.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. identicon
    nasch, 8 Oct 2008 @ 3:45pm

    Re: Food Copyrights

    You really should get Firefox, it will spell check for you. Creamcheese, tomatoe, assidine, althought, rediculous, firvalous, sutis... you're a perfect candidate to switch. I mean no offense, it will just make you look a lot better when you write stuff on forums.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. identicon
    nasch, 8 Oct 2008 @ 3:56pm

    Re: Not Infinite Goods

    It has nothing to do with "infinite goods." Hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush are not, in fact, infinite goods.

    The name of the food is what's infinite. Israelis naming their chickpea paste "hummus" doesn't take away any of the hummus from Lebanon. Lebanon's argument would almost come a little closer to holding some water if they claimed some kind of trademark violation, but copyright is just way off base.

    And I don't see why Middle Eastern politics, idiot lawyers, and the concept of owning ideas can't all be contributing to this stupid situation.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. identicon
    cram, 8 Oct 2008 @ 5:54pm

    not so funny

    for everyone who finds the concept of "food copyright" so funny, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographical_indication

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Richard Whitney, 9 Oct 2008 @ 5:36am

    I have patented 'apple'. Now I am suing both the computer company _and_ the record company.
    Top that!
    I may go after NYC and throat doctors, too. This is fun!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 6:48am

    Re: Re: Just guessing here

    "I agree with Simon Lynch - selling "Champagne" from another geographical area is tantamount to fraud."

    But Merlot and Pinot are not becuase . . . ?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2008 @ 6:53am

    Re: Re: Re: Food Copyrights

    "for the anonymous (and stupid) coward

    Here are the top 16 recipients of U.S. foreign aid for 2005:

    . Israel 2.58 Billion"

    Ok if its only 2.8 Billion I guess its alright thier a religous state . . . right? They are . . . a religious state, right, or not? I guess it depends on what crowd the lobbyists are talking too at any given moment.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. identicon
    Humus Eater, 9 Oct 2008 @ 7:19am

    Re: not so funny

    What is not funny at all is the fact that some people, not only in Lebanon but also on this site, can justify this lunacy. This is not food copyright - it is FOOD IMPERIALISM.

    Unlike "Champagne" which is a name of a region in France, Humus, Falafel, Taboulleh etc. are not names of regions in Lebanon and were not originated specifically from the country of Lebanon.

    A closer equivalent would be "Hamburger", which is named after the German city of Hamburg, but I haven't heard of any Germans trying to sue McDonnalds, Burger King etc.

    Most significantly, this group in Lebanon plans to sue only Israel, and not Syria, Jordan, Egypt or any other country in Europe or America were Humus is commonly produced.

    This clearly proves that the motivation for this action is not defending Humus but attacking Israel (as is the comment by the aptly named "anonymous coward" #8).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. identicon
    Humus Eater, 9 Oct 2008 @ 7:19am

    Re: not so funny

    What is not funny at all is the fact that some people, not only in Lebanon but also on this site, can justify this lunacy. This is not food copyright - it is FOOD IMPERIALISM.

    Unlike "Champagne" which is a name of a region in France, Humus, Falafel, Taboulleh etc. are not names of regions in Lebanon and were not originated specifically from the country of Lebanon.

    A closer equivalent would be "Hamburger", which is named after the German city of Hamburg, but I haven't heard of any Germans trying to sue McDonnalds, Burger King etc.

    Most significantly, this group in Lebanon plans to sue only Israel, and not Syria, Jordan, Egypt or any other country in Europe or America were Humus is commonly produced.

    This clearly proves that the motivation for this action is not defending Humus but attacking Israel (as is the comment by the aptly named "anonymous coward" #8).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. identicon
    Humus Eater, 9 Oct 2008 @ 7:19am

    Re: not so funny

    What is not funny at all is the fact that some people, not only in Lebanon but also on this site, can justify this lunacy. This is not food copyright - it is FOOD IMPERIALISM.

    Unlike "Champagne" which is a name of a region in France, Humus, Falafel, Taboulleh etc. are not names of regions in Lebanon and were not originated specifically from the country of Lebanon.

    A closer equivalent would be "Hamburger", which is named after the German city of Hamburg, but I haven't heard of any Germans trying to sue McDonnalds, Burger King etc.

    Most significantly, this group in Lebanon plans to sue only Israel, and not Syria, Jordan, Egypt or any other country in Europe or America were Humus is commonly produced.

    This clearly proves that the motivation for this action is not defending Humus but attacking Israel (as is the comment by the aptly named "anonymous coward" #8).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. identicon
    LostSailor, 9 Oct 2008 @ 7:46am

    Re: Re: Not Infinite Goods

    The name of the food is what's infinite...Lebanon's argument would almost come a little closer to holding some water if they claimed some kind of trademark violation, but copyright is just way off base.

    The name of the food can't be an infinite good because it's a word, not a good. I agree that this can't be a copyright issue and only by the wildest stretch of a febrile imagination could it be considered a trademark issue.

    And I don't see why Middle Eastern politics, idiot lawyers, and the concept of owning ideas can't all be contributing to this stupid situation.

    You can't own an idea. You can't copyright or patent an idea. You can own and copyright the specific expression of an idea and you can patent the process or procedural expression of an idea. But that's not the situation here.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. identicon
    Humus Eater, 9 Oct 2008 @ 8:22am

    Re: Religious state (#43)

    >> Israel 2.58 Billion"
    >> They are . . . a religious state, right, or not?

    Yes, and they print "In God We Trust" on each dollar they get.
    Ooops, it's the USA that prints it...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    Zuke, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:20am

    Re: Who Do I Make this Check Out to ?

    AWESOME!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. identicon
    malka benshir, 9 Oct 2008 @ 5:57pm

    falafel wars

    I have an idea! why don't we just shoot falafel balls across the borders! It is ecological, and if the soldiers on either side are hungry they can stop and have a snack. I hope there is no pizza sold in Lebanon. They are in for a lawsuit from the Italians...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  51. identicon
    malka benshir, 9 Oct 2008 @ 6:05pm

    Re: french fries

    French Fries with malt vinegar is straight from Ocean City, MD. That is Thrasher's all the way. In Quebec they eat poutine, which is gravy on fries. (My hubby is a Montrealer!)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  52. identicon
    MeirCookBook, 9 Oct 2008 @ 11:38pm

    My Comment

    I feel so GUILTY....
    Yes, its me. I took the recipe....and I won't give it back :-) :-)
    Hey Lebanon, Syria and Hezbollah (who have the copyright on the TERROR) stole your whole country!

    Try to stop us if you've got the (felafel) balls

    Visit me: www.MeirCookBook.net

    Have a nice FALAFEL
    Me

    link to this | view in thread ]

  53. identicon
    SailorSun, 10 Oct 2008 @ 7:42pm

    I'm sure Israel would love to discuss food labeling with Lebanon, on one condition - that Lebanon signs a peace treaty with Israel.

    Until then they can STFU.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  54. identicon
    Alex, 13 Oct 2008 @ 2:15am

    Re: Re: Re: Just guessing here

    But Merlot and Pinot are not becuase . . . ?

    Because Merlot and Pinot Noir are grapes which can be grown anywhere.

    If you made a wine from Pinot Noir in Oregon and labelled it Burgundy (or Bourgogne) then THAT would be fraudulent, along the same lines as Champagne.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  55. identicon
    Laila, 19 Oct 2008 @ 6:26am

    Lebanese vs Jewish Food

    Hi,
    Let me start by saying I'm lebanese, and please let me say you're displaying the idea in a a silly way, and that's not the truth. I think there's a difference between someone stamping on your food and claiming it's his, and between someone "just selling". It's like saying creme brulee is Namibian. Can you? I don't think so. So please diffrentiate between "ownership" and just mere "sale".
    Thx

    link to this | view in thread ]

  56. identicon
    leb, 30 Oct 2008 @ 7:52am

    Re: Lebanese vs Jewish Food

    correct!!!

    Israel came to Middle East few decates ago, and now everything its for Israel.lollll you're suckers and loosers!!You couldn't steal more land from the Lebanese territory, now you wanna steal our food?!?!When you're gonna stop stealing the others?!
    and by the way, we kicked you ba.... sorry falafel, two years ago, suckerssssssssssssssss!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  57. identicon
    Israelisacolonyofdeath, 3 Dec 2008 @ 4:43pm

    Falafel

    So its not enought that the Europeans had to invade kill and take our land, they want to steal our culture. Falafel is as much Israeli as Spring Rolls are from Norway.
    Israel is a death cult.
    Peace

    link to this | view in thread ]

  58. identicon
    happy princess, 17 Dec 2008 @ 4:15am

    food wars

    this is sheer madness. Let us all just eat, drink, and be merry!!!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  59. identicon
    A Lebanese Libral Thinker, 18 Dec 2008 @ 7:32am

    Food issue

    This issue has been made bigger than its actual size. I personally think that Israel did a mistake (intentional or not) by adding the above list to their cuisine. The world will not change because of this issue. We have bigger problems to worry about so please spare the flames & cussing.

    Now I'd like to give my 2 cents on this issue. I, like many others, like diverse cuisines. I like the Chinese Sweet n Sour, Mexican Buffalo Wings, Morrocan Coucos, French Camembert, American Pancakes, etc... Now over the years people get used to their food diet that it becomes part of their culture. For example, in Lebanon almost always in every Lebanese fast food sandwich restaurant we have the beef & chicken Shawarma. For some Lebanese they think its a Lebanese food although in fact it came from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Israel & Lebanon have almost the same cuisine. I know Israelis who eat the same food we eat everyday. What seems to be the problem? From Falafel to mixed grill and stew (Yakhne a Turkish word which we imported to the Arabic language) its almost the same with few exceptions on the sauce and spices.

    In my opinion it is not a copyright or trademark issue. It is a cuisine listing that needs a simple clarifications. NO ONE is forcing the Israelis to stop eating tabbouleh, falafel or hommos. If Israelis like hommos then I guess we do have something in common :)

    Cheers & enjoy food from all cuisines!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  60. identicon
    Mike, 6 Jan 2009 @ 10:36pm

    It is quite stupid - but the above mentioned foods are Lebanese... Maybe this is what they want to make known... I don't know - I'm French so it doesn't really bother me, but Lebanese food is my favorite! YUM!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  61. identicon
    Peel, 8 Jan 2009 @ 5:28am

    Re: Re: Re: Just guessing here

    "But Merlot and Pinot are not because... ?"
    because Merlot and Pinot are grape varieties, with no indication of a country of origin, a geographical area with strong local specificities, or a fabrication method.

    Even in France you can only produce Champagne within a very restricted area, leading to an end product that's linked very specificly to that area.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  62. identicon
    Michael Makovi, 20 Jan 2009 @ 9:16am

    Israeli = Levant!!!

    If anyone looks at a map, one will see that Israel is very close indeed to Lebanon. Who says the borders didn't change at some point? Maybe part of present-day Israel was once Lebanon, or part of present-day Lebanon was once Israel?

    Saying that Israel cannot make tahina and hummus is like saying that Macedonia cannot make feta; you cannot easily distinguish between Greece and Macedonia!

    In fact, the Mishnah, the primary source of all Jewish law, was written in what the Romans called "Palestine", and in what we call "Lebanon", by Rabbi Judah haNasi. Shall we say that all Jewish law is the property of the Palestinians and/or Lebanese? And the Talmud was written in Sasanid Persia - I guess the Lebanese will have to share Jewish law with Iran. Oh, but the Code of Jewish Law was written in Ottoman-ruled Israel/Palestine - sigh, I guess Turkey also owns Jewish law.

    By the way, Israel calls their tahini "tahinA", in keeping with Hebrew pronunciation. English translations on Israeli-tahina use this spelling (with an "a"), so one cannot claim that Israel is using the same word. If I call my cheese "FetE", Greece cannot sue me, because only "fetA" is trademarked.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  63. identicon
    The Dude, 26 Jan 2009 @ 1:05pm

    ahhh

    ummmmm.......I like beer?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  64. identicon
    liberaljojo, 9 Feb 2009 @ 6:28pm

    are you idiots kidding me?

    do you realize that about 1/2 of israel's population is made up of jews from arabic or muslim countries? obviously they are going to be eating the same type of cuisine that you make in your precious lebanon.
    get over it. and if you really think that you "kicked israel's ba (?)" in 2006, then i guess hezbolla's brainwashing abilities are on par with the soviets.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  65. identicon
    Sarah, 14 May 2009 @ 4:44am

    Re: copyrights

    Actually the name Lebanon is the oldest name for a country in the history of mankind that is continually used ;)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  66. identicon
    Sarah, 14 May 2009 @ 4:52am

    Re: My Comment

    Hey Hezballah was created as a result of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the 20 year occupation of Lebanese land. Hezballah was created in 85 so NO technically it was the IDF who has copyrighted TERROR lets look up the statistics, dead Palestinians vs Israelis, dead Lebanese vs Israelis. Israeli occupied land by Lebanese 0, Lebanese land occupied by Israel 76, 82 and currently Shebaa Farms, Palestinians occupying Israeli land-0, Israelis occupying Palestinian land, 1967 and 48

    link to this | view in thread ]

  67. identicon
    Sarah, 14 May 2009 @ 4:58am

    Hummus, baba ghanouj, tabooli, fatoush are all Lebanese food, they are from the Mezze food group which is known to be Lebanese, not Turkish or Israeli. The Lebanese cuisine reflects its region which is Mediterranean...after all Lebanon is home to one of the most anicent civilizations and its current population still carries the same DNA as their Phoenician ancestors. So the food is Lebanese...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  68. identicon
    John, 16 May 2009 @ 6:23am

    hahah

    this was a funny article.. hahahah

    Food dont belong to anyone.. its one thing to be from a special region, and another to own it.. how can someone own food?
    its just stupid to even think that

    link to this | view in thread ]

  69. identicon
    charbel, 24 May 2009 @ 5:33pm

    Re: sue for burgers

    you idiot, burger is american hot dog is german hummus is lebanese to make same idiot like you open book plus the english alphabetical is lebanese tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,,,,open a book u idiot..................

    link to this | view in thread ]

  70. identicon
    Z, 27 Sep 2009 @ 11:24am

    Re: Politics

    Fuck you.. Israel is a stolen country.. stealing foods too is just rediculous.. go make your own foods mother fuckers

    link to this | view in thread ]

  71. identicon
    Alice, 24 Nov 2009 @ 3:20pm

    well, i am lebanese, and after reading your article and a couple of your comments, i guess it's ridiculous how you turn such an issue into ridicule, cooking the big hommus and tabboule plates was only because we felt that our identity was being stolen. this is our food our tradition. anyway, m sure ull just laugh at what i said, cause ur just here to make fun of people, so enjoy :)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  72. identicon
    Viviane, 11 Jan 2010 @ 3:01am

    I think since there is no restriction on where foods originated, or which national dish belongs to which country, I will say that Brie and Boursin originated in Germany, Beer in Portugal, Pizza from Thailand, tacos from Kenya... U get the idea.
    The idea of food originating from a place is not as ridiculous as our dear "article" writer is trying to sell. A cuisine is part of the country's identity, otherwise we would not say French cuisine or Italian or Greek...
    Moreover to make it simpler to simple minds: Snails do not belong to France but Escargots (snails) à la Bourguignonne is French. If you make it in USA it will still be a French dish.
    BTW I am Lebanese.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  73. identicon
    hehe, 21 Mar 2010 @ 6:45am

    israel didn't exist when we start making hummus since the phoenicians!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  74. identicon
    Bill, 6 Jul 2010 @ 5:19am

    Lebanon didn't exist at the time of the Phonicians!!!

    It was founded by the French barely a few years prior to the founding of Israel.

    However that doesn't really matter, as you've missed the point of the article.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  75. identicon
    DS, 6 Aug 2010 @ 5:44am

    In other news, York is suing New York. Mexico is suing New Mexico. And Prince Edward's estate is suing Prince Edward Island.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  76. identicon
    dont need to know, 19 Aug 2010 @ 8:17pm

    the jews always try to have their hands in everything because they are greedy and they really have never made a valuable contribution to society, unlike the lebanese, who decended from the ancient phoenicans..who invented the alphabet...so i say to israel keep your kosher food, bagels and lox...and well keep our hummus and baba

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.