21st August, 2008
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Intellectual Property India, Geographical Indication Registry and Crafts Council of India are holding a Workshop in Gangtok on the 22nd of August, 2008. This sensitization workshop is first of its kind in North East. GI Indication is a sign used in goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess essential qualities that are due to that place of origin. The Geographical Indication conveys to a consumer that a product is produced in a certain place and has certain characteristics that are due to that place of production.
Some of the examples of Geographical Indication from India include Darjeeling Tea, Basmati rice, Kanchipuram silk saree, alphonso mango, kolhapuri chappals etc.
The registration of a geographical indication confers on the authorized users exclusive right to use the GI in relation to the goods in respect of which it is registered. Any association of persons, producers,organization or authority established by or under law can apply. The applicant must represent the interest of the producer of the concerned goods.
Registration is valid for ten years. It can however be renewed.
GI registration confers legal protection to geographical indication in India.
# It prevents unauthorized use of a registered GI.
# It boosts exports by providing legal protection.
# It promotes economic prosperity of producers.
# It enables seeking legal protection in other WTO member countries.
# The authorized users can exercise the exclusive right to use the GI.
In this age and day when everyone is copying Indian designs and exporting them back to India for use by Indian consumers, this is a very vital step that every crafts person and producer of unique items should take. We may otherwise reach a stage when our Indian goods will come to us from neighboring countries like it happened in the case of Indian cotton printed goods which were being produced in England and exported back to India, reads a press release received from Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok.
IPR News Service
IPR No 119/IPR/08-09
20th August 2008
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