Protection of geographical indications: a case study of India
Student name: Ms Princy Jain
Guide: Dr M V Shiju
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: IIT-Kharagpur, West Bengal
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr K. D. Raju
Abstract: Geographical Indications (GIs), an intellectual asset, relatively esoteric, holds paramount importance in today’s global market. GIs have emerged as one of the key players for socio-economic development worldwide as they have changed the scenario by intensifying the shift from domestic to global market because of their emerging economic benefits and have evolved as a major IP component in recent years as they protect a variety of goods, serving not only as a tool for armoring consumers interests and reinforcing trust in the supreme quality and local products but also as a social and economic tool for expansion of rural development, cultural heritage preservation and traditional knowledge protection.
Developing countries like India, etc., have enacted legislation for greater and stronger protection of GIs in order to uplift the economic conditions of the poor people who contribute immensely in making of such key products. Unfortunately, the benefits arising out of GI protection are often excavated by the firms that abuse on the reputation of the famous indigenous products without giving benefits to the community which produces the product.
Therefore, this study looks into the extensive gaps existing in the operationalization of the GI Act. Skillfully constructed policies and strategies are required to increase Part-B registrations of GI like awareness programs among the craftsmen, participation of State Government to take up an initial lead in conducting Part-B registrations, marketing and promotion of Indian GI products to realize its commercial potential etc. All this will in turn translate into the socio-economic development of the community and benefits will reach to the nexus of the supply chain of the product and fulfill the entire motto of the GI Act, 1999.
Keywords: Geographical Indication, Part-B Registration, Socio-economic Development, India, Benefit Sharing.
