The Law of Geographical Indications: Rising above the horizon

The technological developments are increasingly diluting the meaning of distance and places, but the significance of places continues to matter. It is in this context that the Law of Geographical Indications (GI) assumes importance. Geographical indication acknowledges the unique and special relevance of the places, their natural factors which affect the quality of a product and their ancient links and cultural factors which give a special know-how to the crafts or skills. Geographical indications fall in the domain of Intellectual Property Rights which generally are rights associated with a person, but geographical indications are collective rights assigned to all the producers of that unique territory.

This book maps out the resources, naturally unique to a place and the hereditary knowledge that has come to the modern world through the word of mouth. The principal contribution to this book enriches the understanding of geographical indication in simple words without legal jargon. It is a comprehensive study on the geographical indication laws, giving ample insights into the concept of geographical indications, laws and processes for protection of traditional knowledge and unique natural products, international treaties and registration of geographical indication in India.

Of late, geographical indications are becoming prominent in the international treaties as a tool to economic development and quite often serious debate arises over the protective right of users in different territories for the use of a product. There are case studies representing protection of geographical indication to Indian products which may reflect the concerns of other developing countries. In a nutshell, the present work provides a comprehensive and accurate law relating to geographical indications and its interpretations within the country and abroad.