Technically the Laguiole brand is protected... At least in France. It came after a very very long fight between somebody that registered the brand "Laguiole" and the Village of Lagiuole. After many years of legal battle the Village won and now owns the brand. There's a caveat when it comes to knives though, as Thiers as you pointed out, historically made Laguiole, they still have the right to make Laguiole knives (and just knives). There's discussion to create an IGP ( Protected Geographic Indication ), but it's, for the time being, stuck in limbo by the talks between Laguiole and Thiers... over who can makes what. Now distinguishing a Laguiole from Laguiole from a Laguiole from Thiers is relatively easy. Laguioles from Laguiole are made by the Forge de Laguiole or by the Coutellerie of Laguiole en Aubrac. There's a few other artisans, but they don't have the production capacity to sell beyond what they sell in their shop, and a few select Parisian outlets.
