A spate of new GI registrations in India.
“The Geographical Indications Registry has granted GI certificate to Bidriware from Bidar, Channapatna toys and dolls, Nanjangud banana, Coorg orange, Mysore betel leaf, Mysore rosewood inlay, Mysore traditional paintings and Mysore agarbathi, thereby enabling producers and inventors to prevent others from exploiting their products without permission.”
“We have accorded certificates to these items/products. The certificate owners will be the registered proprietors of the GI concerned,” an official with the Geographical Indications Registry told The Hindu. The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks attached to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry also acts as the Registrar of GI.”
The increasing number of registrations seems to suggest that the registration mechanism is working well. However, international consensus on this is still a distance away. And unless things like Mysore agarbathi are protected abroad as well, one cannot prevent the sales of such agarbathi sticks by third parties abroad. It is hoped that working the system in India and ironing out the creases domestically would help when it comes to legislating internationally.
The GI registration system gives some cause for optimism that other controversial areas such as traditional knowledge (if indeed, we did come around to a registration system for traditional knowledge) would work well.
ps: couldn’t help noticing that most GI registrations seem to be coming from the South-mysore silk, pochampalli saris and now all the products mentioned in the item above. Is the South richer in cultural and agri products??
