Over time, a product made in a specific place can develop a unique reputation. This reputation is often due to special characteristics present in the place: its people, its climate and its landscape. There are thousands of examples. In the food and drinks sector there are fruits and vegetables, wines, cheeses and cured meats: Champagne; Chedder, Parma ham and Tipperary turnips. In manufacturers there are Persian carpets, Murano glass, Toledo steel and Japanese electronics. Should all these reputations be protected by law and if so how? This book "The Law of Geographical Indications" addresses these questions. The book examines what names can and cannot be protected in national and international law and the nature of the protection given. In the last years there has been a rapid expansion of the protection given to geographical indications. The book looks at the specific systems adopted in some countries and the general systems in others. Protection is most developed in Europe and specific attention is given to the rules in the European Union and the bilateral agreements the EU has forged with many third countries. The book also examines protection in international law from the 1883 Paris Convention on the protection of intellectual property in general to the more recent TRIPs Agreement in the WTO. Also examined are the two most controversial legal issues surrounding the protection of geographical indications, namely, conflicts between trademarks and geographical indications and the generic character of certain names.

This book is a unique compilation of comprehensive works covering the potentials, challenges, and realities of geographical indications from an Indian perspective. The book encompasses critical studies on legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks and debates surrounding geographical indications. The concept of geographical indication has not received paramount importance in India compared to the other forms of intellectual property rights like patents and trademarks, while GI is becoming critical in national and international discourses. It aims at presenting both national and international situations and discussions, which will appeal to readers worldwide. This book in its first part elaborately deals with the genesis of the GI Act, and then it goes on to analyze both substantive as well as procedural aspects of the registration under the Indian GI Act and tries to identify the discrepancy and gaps in the laws. Also, a comparative perspective has been built by analyzing the GI laws and regulations of some developed countries with that of India. The challenges in existing regulation for quality control and enforcement of GI products in the Indian GI Act have been dealt comprehensively by the authors which are critical in achieving the stated objectives of the Act. The book also focuses on the role of geographical indication in the socio-economic development of rural India. The authors have illustrated how the GI can act as an effective mechanism for employment generation and sustainable growth opportunities in different sectors like agriculture, food, and handicraft. The interaction of GI with traditional knowledge and biodiversity and their impact on society is also extensively covered. The book contains real-life case studies by the authors from different states of India highlighting the success stories and missed opportunities of different GIs and the way forward where the GI can function as an effective tool for the overall development of a country and promote international trade. The book will provide law students, scholars from legal and IP disciplines, legal practitioners, producers, and policymakers a factual and multidimensional insight into the GI system in India. This will further promote research in this area, particularly from an Asian perspective and enhance the real-life application of GI to varied products.

Creations of mind can vary in its form—from a brilliant thought to a gizmo gadget to a popular fiction—all come under the legal term called Intellectual Property. In the world of upheaval technology, where information on anything and everything is freely available and accessible, guarding these intellectual properties legally becomes a prerequisite. This book comprehensively discusses how to manage and secure the intellectual property and the legal norms associated with it. The book begins with introducing the concepts related to Intellectual Property and the WTO Agreement. The following chapters explain various types of Intellectual Property Rights such as Patents, Copyrights, Trade Marks, Industrial Designs, Integrated Circuits, and Geographical Indications. These chapters also provide in-depth and detailed insight on regulations and procedures for protection of Intellectual Property Rights. The book further explicates the creation of Intellectual Property and spells out the conceptual framework for creativity and innovation. Management of Intellectual Property is as important as its creation, and therefore the concluding chapters describe the activities for management and commercialization of Intellectual Property Rights, and the emerging issues surrounding them. Two separate cases have been added at the end of the book, to provide an analytical insight of the subject to the students. The book is meant for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of management and technology. Besides, the book can be useful for the undergraduate students of law as a ready reference.

Intellectual Property discusses issues pertaining to intellectual property rights, specifically patents and patent-related issues. It considers divergent issues related to patents starting from invention to filing of a patent and the issues that come along with it. Written by authors from all over the world, this book discusses such topics as writing and defending patent applications; national and legal rules and policies regarding intellectual property rights; the laws, regulations, rules, and procedures of appeals in major patent offices in Europe and the United States; and more.

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of Geographical Indications (GI) in the Indian context with particular reference to the handloom sector. It discusses themes such as the rationale of GI as IP (intellectual property); the domestic position on GIs; GI protection under various international instruments; handlooms from Gujarat and their GI journey; the efficacy of GIs; and GI structure for handlooms. The volume fills the gap between law and policies and recommends the implementation of an efficient legal system. It highlights the status of Indian handlooms, a sector that represents the country’s cultural heritage and supports a range of livelihoods. We examine India’s GI protection system with its diverse cultures and explore how GI can help recognize, support and promote these products to bring socio-economic benefits. The work documents policy measures undertaken for the revival, restructuring and promotion of Indian handlooms and handicrafts, and will serve as an important intervention in Indian law on GI. An investigative study that evaluates the current law and policy on GI protection through detailed case studies and empirical research on select Indian handlooms, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of geography, economics, development studies, sociology, law and public policy. It will also interest policymakers, legal practitioners, textile and handloom professionals, design and business administration institutes, media, arts and crafts museums and civil society organizations working on handlooms or in intellectual property.

In Indian context.