Date:20/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/20/stories/2004122006890500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Registration of geographical indications to be made easy

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 19. The office of the Geographical Indications (GI) Registry, Chennai, has received 20 applications for GI registrations, mostly in the textiles segment, according to V. Natarajan, Assistant Registrar, Chennai. He was addressing participants of a workshop on `Protection of geographical indications in India', organised by Andhra Pradesh Technology Development Centre (APTDC) of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Andhra Pradesh unit here, on Saturday.

Mr. Natarajan said steps were initiated to facilitate filing of applications online and was hopeful it would be a reality in January. Discussions were on to convert GI Journal from a bi-monthly into a monthly. The department was facilitating a meeting every Saturday in one city to create awareness and explain significance and benefits of GI rules under the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Unlike Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), GIs were community properties. "GIs indicate a good as originating in a territory, region or locality, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. Examples are Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Nagpur Orange and Bikaneri Bhujia to name a few."

Stress on awareness

T. Satyanarayana Rao, Director of Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said there was a need to create awareness even among top bureaucrats of what this Act was about.