On 4 October, before more than 100 delegates attending the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) General Assemblies, oriGIn presented its manual “Protecting the Geographical Indications in Emerging Economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China – BRICs Countries)”.
Following the welcome address by Mr. Amedeo Trambajolo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Italian Mission to the United Nations, Mr. Jorge de Paula Costa Avila, President of the National Institute of Intellectual Property of Brazil, praised the oriGIn manual and insisted on the key role of GIs as a development tool for small producers. Mr. Giorgio Bocedi, one of the authors of the manual, presented the main rules to protect geographical names in Brazil, Russia, India and China, stressing the fact that each of these emerging economies has established a GI sui generis system. Finally, Mr. Matthijs Geuze, Head of the International Appellations of Origin Registry at WIPO, presented the WIPO International Treaties on GIs.
On the same day, a member of oriGIn – the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) – announced that Brazil has recognized Napa Valley with Geographical Indication (GI) status, which will protect the American wine region from misuse of its name in that country.
For more information: GIs in the BRICs
