Geographical Indications: What do they specify? - WIPO

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to ... rows search IPServices IPServices ProtectingIP PCT–TheInternationalPatentSystem Madrid–TheInternationalTrademarkSystem Hague–TheInternationalDesignSystem Lisbon–TheInternationalSystemofGeographicalIndications Budapest–TheInternationalMicroorganismDepositSystem Article6ter ResolvingDisputes AlternativeDisputeResolution DomainNameDisputes SecureExchangeofDocuments DigitalAccessService(DAS) CentralizedAccesstoSearchandExamination(CASE) PayingforIPServices HowtoPay IPPortal One-stopshopforonlineIPservices AllIPServices Policy Policy DecisionMaking&NegotiatingBodies WIPOAssemblies PBC-ProgramandBudgetCommittee SCCR-StandingCommitteeonCopyrightandRelatedRights SCP-StandingCommitteeontheLawofPatents SCT-StandingCommitteeontheLawofTrademarks IGC-IntergovernmentalCommitteeonIP&GR,TK&Folklore CDIP-CommitteeonDevelopmentandIP CWS-CommitteeonWIPOStandards ACE-AdvisoryCommitteeonEnforcement AllDecisionMaking&NegotiatingBodies IP&OtherPolicyTopics FrontierTechnologies SustainableDevelopmentGoals GeneticResources,TraditionalKnowledgeandTraditionalCulturalExpressions Economics GlobalHealth ClimateChange CompetitionPolicy Allpolicy Cooperation Cooperation DevelopmentCooperation DevelopmentAgenda TechnicalAssistance HumanCapacityBuilding Public-PrivatePartnerships AccessibleBooksConsortium WIPORe:Search WIPOGREEN Pat-INFORMED ARDI ASPI WIPOMatch WIPOALERT WIPOforCreators GlobalCooperation GlobalInfrastructure BuildingRespectforIP Allcooperation Resources Resources IPDatabases PATENTSCOPE GlobalBrandDatabase MadridMonitor GlobalDesignDatabase HagueExpress LisbonExpress Article6ter LegalResources WIPOLex WIPOAdministeredTreaties ArtificialIntelligenceTools Machinetranslation Imagesearch Speech-to-text Automaticclassification TechnicalResources InternationalClassifications Standards(WIPOHandbook) Terminology(WIPOPearl) InsightandAnalysis WIPOTechnologyTrends GlobalInnovationIndex WorldIntellectualPropertyReport InformationResources Documents Statistics Publications CountryProfiles CaseStudies WIPOKnowledgeCenter Allresources AboutIP AboutIP IntellectualProperty Copyright Patents Trademarks IndustrialDesigns GeographicalIndications TradeSecrets Training WIPOAcademy Workshops&Seminars RaisingAwareness WorldIPDay WIPOAwards OutreachCampaigns WIPOMagazine IPand... 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Ageographicalindication(GI)isasignusedonproductsthathaveaspecificgeographicaloriginandpossessqualitiesorareputationthatareduetothatorigin.InordertofunctionasaGI,asignmustidentifyaproductasoriginatinginagivenplace. Inaddition,thequalities,characteristicsorreputationoftheproductshouldbeessentiallyduetotheplaceoforigin.Sincethequalitiesdependonthegeographicalplaceofproduction,thereisaclearlinkbetweentheproductanditsoriginalplaceofproduction. Whatrightsdoesageographicalindicationprovide? Ageographicalindicationrightenablesthosewhohavetherighttousetheindicationtopreventitsusebyathirdpartywhoseproductdoesnotconformtotheapplicablestandards.Forexample,inthejurisdictionsinwhichtheDarjeelinggeographicalindicationisprotected,producersofDarjeelingteacanexcludeuseoftheterm“Darjeeling”forteanotgrownintheirteagardensornotproducedaccordingtothestandardssetoutinthecodeofpracticeforthegeographicalindication. However,aprotectedgeographicalindicationdoesnotenabletheholdertopreventsomeonefrommakingaproductusingthesametechniquesasthosesetoutinthestandardsforthatindication.Protectionforageographicalindicationisusuallyobtainedbyacquiringarightoverthesignthatconstitutestheindication. Forwhattypeofproductscangeographicalindicationsbeused? Geographicalindicationsaretypicallyusedforagriculturalproducts,foodstuffs,wineandspiritdrinks,handicrafts,andindustrialproducts. Howaregeographicalindicationsprotected? Therearefourmainwaystoprotectageographicalindication: so-calledsuigenerissystems(i.e.specialregimesofprotection); usingcollectiveorcertificationmarks; methodsfocusingonbusinesspractices,includingadministrativeproductapprovalschemes;and throughunfaircompetitionlaws. Theseapproachesinvolvedifferenceswithrespecttoimportantquestions,suchastheconditionsforprotectionorthescopeofprotection.Ontheotherhand,twoofthemodesofprotection—namelysuigenerissystemsandcollectiveorcertificationmarksystems—sharesomecommonfeatures,suchasthefactthattheysetuprightsforcollectiveusebythosewhocomplywithdefinedstandards. Broadlyspeakinggeographicalindicationsareprotectedindifferentcountriesandregionalsystemsthroughawidevarietyofapproachesandoftenusingacombinationoftwoormoreoftheapproachesoutlinedabove.Theseapproacheshavebeendevelopedinaccordancewithdifferentlegaltraditionsandwithinaframeworkofindividualhistoricalandeconomicconditions. Whatisthedifferencebetweenageographicalindication(GI),anappellationoforigin(AO),aprotecteddesignationoforigin(PDO)andaprotectedgeographicalindication(PGI)? Theterm“geographicalindications”,initsbroadsense,includesavarietyofconceptsusedininternationaltreatiesandnational/regionaljurisdictions,suchas:appellationoforigin(AO),protecteddesignationoforigin(PDO)andprotectedgeographicalindication(PGI).Forinstance, “Geographicalindication”isdefinedintheAgreementonTrade-RelatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRights(TRIPS)andintheGenevaActoftheLisbonAgreementonAppellationsofOriginandGeographicalIndications. “Appellationoforigin”isdefinedintheLisbonAgreementfortheProtectionofAppellationsofOriginandtheirInternationalRegistrationandintheGenevaActoftheLisbonAgreementonAppellationsofOriginandGeographicalIndications. “ProtectedDesignationofOrigin(PDO)”and“ProtectedGeographicalIndication(PGI)”aretermsusedwithintheEuropeanUnion. Readthefulllistof geographicalindicationFAQs. Featured VirtualExhibitiononGeographicalIndications September6,2021toJuly31,2022 TheexhibitionoffersvisitorsanopportunitytodiscoverWIPO’sworkinthefieldofgeographicalindications,aswellasexamplesofgeographicalindicationsfromMemberStates. Visittheexhibition Geographicalindicationsaroundtheworld Visitourvirtualexhibitiontodiscoverproductsfromaroundtheworldwhosequalityandreputationareduetotheirgeographicorigin.  Amongsttheproductsfrom39memberstatesandtwointergovernmentalorganizations,youwillfind: (Photo:©MinistryofAgricultureandEnvironmentofCabo Verde) ChadasCalderas–Cabo Verde Thevineyardsarelocatedatanelevationofmorethan1,500meters.Thewine’suniquecharacteristicsarealsoduetotheisland’svolcanicsoilandthedryclimatewithextremetemperatures. (Photo:©FederationoftheSwissWatchIndustryFH) Watches–Switzerland Awatchcanonlybeartheindication"Swissmade"ifitsmovementisSwiss,andifitstechnicaldevelopment,assemblyandfinalcheckstakeplaceinSwitzerland. (Photo:©CentreofAgriculturalAnalysis,RussianMinistryofAgriculture) BashkirHoney–RussianFederation BashkirhoneyishighlyvaluedgiventheuniquenatureofBashkortostanwhichhasbecomewell-knownduetoitsflora,comprisingabout400speciesofhoney-bearingplants. (Photo:©SAKPATENTI) TushetianGuda–Georgia TushetianGudacheeseismadeof3typesofwhole,freshmilk:sheep,cowandacombinationsheepandcowmilk.Thecheeseisripenedinaguda–asackmadefromsheeporvealskin,wheretheshortlycuthairisindirectcontactwiththecheese. Learnmoreaboutgeographicalindications FromSwitzerland’sGruyèrecheesetoMexico’sTequila,geographicalindicationsandappellationsoforiginareacommonfeatureofeverydaylife.Theynotonlyprovideawayforbusinesstoleveragethevalueoftheirgeographicallyuniqueproducts,butalsoinformandattractconsumers. Readthepublicationentitled"GeographicalIndications-AnIntroduction"tofindoutmoreaboutallthespecificitiesofGIs. Featured Close Explainervideo:GeographicalindicationsandWIPO’sLisbonSystem Lawsandtreatiescoveringgeographicalindications Anumberofinternationaltreatiesdealpartlyorentirelywiththeprotectionofgeographicalindicationsorappellationsoforigin.BelowarelinkstorelevanttreatiesadministeredbyWIPO,aswellastotheWorldTradeOrganization’sAgreementonTradeRelatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRights(TRIPS). RelevanttreatiesadministeredbyWIPO ParisConvention MadridAgreementfortheRepressionofFalseorDeceptiveIndicationsofSourceonGoods LisbonAgreement MadridAgreement ProtocolRelatingtotheMadridAgreement Overview:theTRIPSAgreement(WTOwebsite) WIPOLexdatabase WIPOLexisaglobaldatabasethatprovidesfreeofchargeaccesstolegalinformationonintellectualproperty(IP),includingIPlawsandregulations,WIPO-administeredandIPrelatedtreaties,andleadingjudicialdecisionsonIP. StandingCommitteeontheLawofTrademarks,IndustrialDesignsandGeographicalIndications TheStandingCommitteeontheLawofTrademarks,IndustrialDesignsandGeographicalIndications(SCT)istheforumwhereWIPO'smemberstatesdiscusspolicyandlegalissuesrelatingtotheinternationaldevelopmentoflawandstandardsforgeographicalindicationsandappellationsoforigin. DelegatesatameetingoftheSCT.(Photo:WIPO)MoreSCTphotosonFlickr. Registeringandsearchingappellationsoforigin TheLisbonSystem TheLisbonSystemprovidesameansofobtainingprotectionforappellationsoforigininseveralcountries.ThiscanbedonebyfilingoneapplicationwiththeInternationalBureauofWIPO,inonelanguage,withonesetoffeesinonecurrency. DiplomaticConference2015 ADiplomaticConferencefortheAdoptionofanewActoftheLisbonAgreementfortheProtectionofAppellationsofOriginandtheirInternationalRegistrationwilltakeplacefromMay11to21,2015. TheLisbonExpressdatabase TheLisbonExpressdatabaseisthefirststepinappellationoforiginsearches.ThedatabasecanprovideageneraloverviewofinternationalappellationsoforiginregisteredwithWIPO. WorldwideSymposiumonGeographicalIndications ThebiennialWorldwideSymposiumonGeographicalIndicationsbringstogethergovernmentrepresentativeswithproducersofGI-registeredproducts,legalandotherspecialists,foranopenexchangeofviewsonvariousissuesrelatedtogeographicalindications. Itcontributestotheongoingdebateatthenationalandinternationallevel.Speakers'presentationsonthepracticaluseofGIsandappellationsoforiginindifferentcountriescontainawealthofinformation. WorldwideSymposiumonGeographicalIndications VirtualSessionSeptember6to8,2021 Videoondemand Relatedlinks InformationresourcesonGIs Casestudies Documentsandmeetings Publications Statistics Countryinformation WIPOKnowledgeCenter(WKC) TrainingonGIs WIPOAcademy Workshopsandseminars AboutothertypesofIP Patents Trademarks Copyright Industrialdesigns