The Law of Geographical Indications Rising above the horizon

The technological developments are increasingly diluting the meaning of distance and places, but the significance of places continues to matter. It is in this context that the Law of Geographical Indications (GI) assumes importance. Geographical indication acknowledges the unique and special relevance of the places, their natural factors which affect the quality of a product and their ancient links and cultural factors which give a special know-how to the crafts or skills. Geographical indications fall in the domain of Intellectual Property Rights which generally are rights associated with a person, but geographical indications are collective rights assigned to all the producers of that unique territory.

This book maps out the resources, naturally unique to a place and the hereditary knowledge that has come to the modern world through the word of mouth. The principal contribution to this book enriches the understanding of geographical indication in simple words without legal jargon. It is a comprehensive study on the geographical indication laws, giving ample insights into the concept of geographical indications, laws and processes for protection of traditional knowledge and unique natural products, international treaties and registration of geographical indication in India.

Of late, geographical indications are becoming prominent in the international treaties as a tool to economic development and quite often serious debate arises over the protective right of users in different territories for the use of a product. There are case studies representing protection of geographical indication to Indian products which may reflect the concerns of other developing countries. In a nutshell, the present work provides a comprehensive and accurate law relating to geographical indications and its interpretations within the country and abroad.

Part One
International Laws on Geographical Indications
Chapter
     1     Geographical Indications—An Overview                          
    1.1      Meaning of geographical indication                                         
    1.2      Geographical indication as an intellectual
               property right                                                                            
    1.3      Geographical indication and other
               intellectual property rights                                                     
    1.4      Geographical indications and trademarks                          
1.4.1      Difference between trademarks and
               geographical indications                                                         
1.4.2      Conflicts between trademarks and
               geographical indications                                                         
    1.5      Bonding of geographical indications
               with the local environment                                                    
    1.6      Geographical indication—a community right                      
     2     Definition of  Geographical Indications                           
    2.1      Use of geographic word                                                          
   2.2      ‘Indication of source’ and ‘appellation
               of origin’                                                                                     
   2.3      Definitions of geographical indication                                  
2.3.1      Analysis of the above definitions                                           
   2.4      Elements on which the definition of
               geographical indications is based                                          
     2     Definition of  Geographical Indications—continued
   2.5      Functions of geographical indications                                  
   2.6      Types of geographical indications                                         
     3     Protection of Geographical Indications                            
    3.1      Unfair competition                                                                   
   3.2      Passing off                                                                                  
   3.3      Trademark regimes for the protection of
               geographical indications                                                         
3.3.1      Trademark with geographical references                           
3.3.2      Collective marks, guarantee marks
               and certification marks                                                           
3.3.3      Difference between collective marks
               and certification marks                                                           
   3.4      Administrative schemes for protection                               
   3.5      Sui generis protection of geographical
               indication                                                                                   
   3.6      ‘Passive’ or non-registration protection                                        
   3.7      Protection through registration                                             
     4     International Regime of Geographical Indications   
    4.1      The Paris Convention for the Protection
               of Industrial Property 1883                                                    
4.1.1      Features of the Paris Convention in brief                            
4.1.2      Provision concerning geographical
               indications, (Appellation of Origin,
               Indication of Source and Unfair
               Competition)                                                                             
4.1.3      Protection against misleading use of
               geographical indications under the
               Paris Convention                                                                      
4.1.4      Unfair competition under Paris
               Convention                                                                                
4.1.5      Distinction between geographical
               indications and trademarks under
               the Paris Convention                                                               
4.1.6      Protection of Collective Marks under
               Article 7bis                                                                                 
   4.2      The Madrid Agreement for the Repression
               of False or Deceptive Indications of
               Source on Goods 1891                                                            
     4     International Regime of Geographical Indications—continued
4.2.1      Amendment of Madrid Agreement                                     
4.2.2      Modes of protection of geographical
               indications                                                                                 
   4.3      The Stresa Cheese Convention of 1951                                
   4.4      The Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of
               Appellations of Origin and Their International
               Registration 1958                                                                      
4.4.1      Lisbon System for the International
               Registration of Appellations of Origin                                   
   4.5      The Madrid Agreement Concerning the
               International Registration of Marks of 1891
               and the Protocol Relating to that Agreement                     
4.5.1      Effects of the International Registration                                      
   4.6      Revision of the Multilateral System of
               Geographical Indication Protection after 1958                  
4.6.1      Unsuccessful WIPO Draft Treaty                                          
4.6.2      The unsuccessful WIPO Model Law on
               geographical indications                                                         
4.6.3      Revision of the Paris Convention                                          
4.6.4      The 1990 Committee of Experts on
               the International Protection of
               Geographical Indications                                                        
   4.7      Bilateral and plurilateral agreements                                   
   4.8      The North American Free Trade
               Agreement (NAFTA)                                                               
   4.9      Relationship between the WIPO Treaties
               and the Trips Agreement                                                      
     5     TRIPs and Geographical Indications                               
    5.1      The genesis of Gatt and emergence
               of the TRIPs Agreement                                                         
   5.2      The GATT 1947                                                                         
   5.3      The Uruguay Round                                                                
   5.4      Negotiating history within TRIPs for
               geographical indications                                                         
5.4.1      EC Proposal                                                                               
5.4.2      The Swiss Proposal                                                                   
5.4.3      The US Proposal                                                                       
     5     TRIPs and Geographical Indications—continued
5.4.4      The Proposal by developing countries                                 
5.4.5      The Anell Draft                                                                         
5.4.6      The Brussels Draft                                                                    
5.4.7      The Unified Proposal or the so-called
               “Composite Text”                                                                     
5.4.8      The Dunkel Draft text of December 1991                           
    5.5      Protection of geographical indications
               under TRIPs Agreement                                                        
5.5.1      Protection granted to geographical
               indications under section 3 of the 
               TRIPs Agreement                                                                     
5.5.2      Definition of geographical indications
               —Article 22(1)                                                                           
5.5.3      Substantive standard of protection
               —Article 22(2)                                                                          
5.5.5      The incorporation of Article 10bis of
               the Paris Convention                                                               
5.5.6      Protection of geographical indications
               over trademarks—Article 22(3)                                            
5.5.7      Homonymous indications—Article 22(4)                            
   5.6      Additional protection for geographical
               indication for wines and spirits—Article 23
               of the TRIPs Agreement                                                         
5.6.1      Article 23(1) of TRIPs                                                              
5.6.2      Article 23(2) of TRIPs                                                             
5.6.3      Article 23(3) of TRIPs                                                             
5.6.4      Article 23(4) of TRIPs                                                             
5.6.5      Additional Level of Protection to Wines
               and Spirits—some issues                                                         
5.6.5.1    Extending the scope of Article 23(1)
               of the TRIPs Agreement                                                         
5.6.5.2   The rationale behind extension                                            
    5.7      Negotiations and exceptions—Article 24                             
5.7.1      Article 24(1) of TRIPs                                                              
5.7.2      Article 24(2) of TRIPs                                                             
5.7.3      Article 24(3) of TRIPs                                                             
5.7.4      Article 24(4) of TRIPs                                                             
5.7.5      Article 24(5) of TRIPs                                                              
     5     TRIPs and Geographical Indications—continued
5.7.6      Article 24(6) of TRIPs                                                             
5.7.7      Article 24(7) of TRIPs                                                              
5.7.8      Article 24(8) of TRIPs                                                             
5.7.9      Article 24(9) of TRIPs                                                             
   5.8      Protection of TRIPs right in national laws                            
   5.9      WTO dispute settlement and geographical
               indications                                                                                 
  5.10      Improving protection for geographical
               indications                                                                                 
5.10.1     Doha Ministerial Conference                                                 
5.10.2     Extension of stricter protection of the
               products other than wines and spirits                                  
5.10.3     Multilateral register of geographical
               indications for wines and spirits                                            
  5.11      Current  discussions of geographical
               indications in the WTO                                                            
5.11.1      The Doha mandate                                                                  
5.11.2     EC’s “claw-back” proposal in the
               agriculture negotiations                                                          
5.11.2.1   Dispute over EC protection
               of geographical indications                                                     
5.11.3     The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference                                       
     6     Protection of Geographical Indication in Other Economy
    6.1      Laws protecting geographical indications
               in United States                                                                        
6.1.1      Trademark regime of protection of
               geographical indications                                                         
6.1.2      Certification marks in US law                                                 
6.1.3      Protection to wines and spirits                                              
   6.2      Laws protecting geographical indications
               in Australia                                                                                 
6.2.1      General overview                                                                     
6.2.2      The Australian Wine and Brandy
               Corporation Act 1980                                                              
6.2.3      Criteria for determination of
               geographical indications                                                         
6.2.4      Who may apply for recognition of
               geographical indication for wine                                           
     6     Protection of Geographical
           Indication in Other Economy—continued
6.2.5      Recognition and registration procedure                                      
6.2.6      Composition of the Australian Register
               of Protected Names                                                                
6.2.7      Penalties in relation to unauthorized use
               of geographical indications for wines                                   
   6.3      Laws protecting geographical indications
               in France                                                                                    
6.3.1      The law of 1905 (The Administrative
               Phase)                                                                                         
6.3.2      The law of 1919 (The Legal Phase)                                        
6.3.3      Roquefort Protection Act of 1925                                         
6.3.4      Decree-Law of 30th July 1935                                               
6.3.5      Law of 28th November 1955                                                  
6.3.6      Law No. 66-482 of July 1966                                                 
6.3.7      Law of 2nd December 1973                                                   
6.3.8      Law of 2nd July 1990                                                               
6.3.9      Decree No. 911-368