Geographical Indications Registration System in India

Basics of Geographical Indications

Geographical Indications Registration System in India

Geographical Indications Filing Requirments in India

Geographical Indications Opposition Procedure

Geographical Indications-Flow Charts

Geographical Indications

Protection of Geographical Indications in India is governed by the legislation namely The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999, which seeks to provide for registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India. This Act also provides for setting up a Geographical Indications Registry for the purposes of registration of GIs in India.

Who Is Entitled To Apply?

Any association of persons, producers, organization or authority established by or under the law can apply for registration of GIs. The applicant must represent the interest of the producers. Producers are persons dealing with the following three categories of goods:

a. Agricultural Goods includes the production, processing, trading or dealing;

b. Natural Goods includes exploiting, trading or dealing; and

c. Handicrafts or Industrial goods include making, manufacturing, trading or dealing

How to register

a. Prescribed Form

An application for registration of a GI for a specification of goods included in any one class; or
an application to register a GI for a specification of goods included in any class from a convention country;or
a single application for the registration of a GI for different classes of goods from a convention country;or
a single application for the registration of a geographical indication for different classes of goods

shall be made in Form GI-1.

The Application document

The application must be filed at the Office of the GI Registry located in Chennai. The application must conform to the various requirements and criteria prescribed under the GI Rules. The Applicant must furnish the following information/documents with the GI Registry:

Geographical Signification of the Indication vis a vis the goods thus explaining how the indication serves to designate the goods as a Geographical Indication;
Class of goods;
Geographical Area;
Details of the appearance;
Particulars of the producers;
Affidavit deposing the Applicant’s right to become the Registrant;