It is regularly expected from a natural product that it grows and is bred respectively at the declared location. However, the further processing of such products may be effected at different places. The place of such processing may only be declared as point of origin, if the (end) product receives its characteristic properties through the processing. This is the case for example for Swiss chocolate, where the cocoa regularly derives from South America or Africa and the processing to chocolate is professionally done in Switzerland.
The place of production or the origin of the used raw material and components respectively define the origin of industrial products. For the geographical declarations it is decisive, where both, the essential part of the production costs accrue and the product in question passes through the most important production steps. In addition the essential components and the production processes, which give the product its characteristic criteria, should be Swiss. A fountain pen, from which only the golden pen was made in Switzerland and all the other parts are from abroad, may not be declared as Swiss product (Decision from the Commercial Court of St. Gall, in: St. Gallische Gerichts- und Verwaltungspraxis 1968, Nr. 17). Please also note the special rules in connection with watches, which may be found in the "Ordinance over the Use of the Swiss Name for Watches" (SR 232.119). You will find the summary of a current decision in this matter in our News area (Unfair use of the designation "Switzerland") or as full text version (in German only: Decision of the Swiss Federal Court 4C.361 dated 22 February 2006).
For services the domicile of the person providing such service (single service) or the domicile of the company, who has the factual control over the business policy and management (mass services) determine the origin of such services.