WIPO GI Symposium Concludes

by Mary Swire, for LawAndTax-News.com, Hong Kong

04 July 2007

The recently held International Symposium on Geographical Indications (GIs), jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the People’s Republic of China, concluded with a better understanding of how to maximize the use of geographical indications (GIs) to add value to agricultural products, it was announced this week.

A geographical indication is a sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that place of origin. Most commonly, a GI consists of the name of the place of origin of the goods.

The Symposium, held in Beijing late last month, brought together over 300 participants, representing national administrations, producers of GI products and specialists in the field of GIs, in order to exchange information and experiences and to discuss some of the most salient issues in this area.

China’s Vice Prime Minister, Ms. Wu Yi, addressed the opening of the Symposium, and highlighted the importance attached by her Government to using GIs within China’s national trademark system to add value to the country’s agricultural products and boost the rural economy.

The Special Envoy of WIPO Director General Dr. Kamil Idris to the Symposium, Ernesto Rubio thanked the Chinese Government for hosting the event, observing that:

“The holding of this Symposium is very timely, particularly in view of the growing importance of the protection of geographical indications at the international level and in the context of national policies aimed at promoting economic and social development.”

Mr. Rubio added:

“In an increasingly global and competitive market, product differentiation is of growing importance as a means to attract customers. In this connection, along with trademarks, geographical indications have a vital role to play in conveying to the consumer the specific value of a product. They highlight the special features or characteristics that make a given product more attractive among competing products on the market.”

During the course of the three day program, 24 speakers from 14 countries around the world, as well as experts from WIPO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) offered detailed insights into the complexities of the subject, and contributed constructively to the ongoing debate on GIs at the national and international levels.

In his concluding remarks to the Symposium, Mr Rubio noted the views that had been expressed regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to protecting GIs. He added, however, that “we have seen a clear agreement that GIs are becoming increasingly important; and that they can offer a very effective intellectual property tool for promoting wealth creation and social advancement.”

As part of the Symposium, participants visited the Pinggu district, which is near Beijing and is reputed for its large, sweet peaches due to its particular combination of climate, soil, and geographical location. This was one example to demonstrate the success of the Chinese government’s GI strategy.

Since Pinggu Peach was registered as a GI, it is estimated that the market value of the fruit has risen from 1.5 to 4 yuan per kilo, thereby significantly increasing the farmers’ income.

Recommended