EU-ASEAN Symposium on geographical indications (7-9 October 2003)

ASEAN IP officers along with EU experts met in Hanoi for the first regional event hosted by Vietnam, a workshop on geographical indications.
Back to back with the workshop was the Third Regional Committee Meeting and a discussion of issues common to IP Offices.

From an international point of view, protection of geographical indications is ensured through the WCO and TRIPS agreement. Although in Europe, the concept of geographical indications is well known and has a long-standing tradition, the rest of the world is not very familiar with the concept. This appears to be mainly due to a misunderstanding of the concept and its potential benefits for both the state and the producers as an ?additional? protection allocated and to a rejection of the concept as being opposed to the national economic interest.

Apart from the fact that geographical indications represent an economic value which needs to be protected, they are also reflecting an agricultural model allying quality and harmonious occupation of soils.

The objective of the Symposium was to assist ASEAN countries to acquire a better understanding about the social -cultural and commercial interest it may be able to derive by ensuring the protection of geographical indications. Indeed, geographical indications could result in legal protection of national agricultural assets and traditional products.

The workshop therefore intended to:

• improve the understanding by ASEAN countries of geographical indications
• exchange experience and information on the use of geographical indications in Europe and in ASEAN
• demonstrate that geographical indications are an important and useful intellectual property right

Read here the press articles:

Press article 1
Press article 2

Proceedings from the ?EU-ASEAN Workshop on Geographical Indications: A Way Into the Market,? in Hanoi during 7-8 October 2003 are now available.
The publication contains a range of informative presentation materials on the topic by European and ASEAN speakers at the event, including:

• ?The Importance of Geographical Indications,? and ?The European Law on Geographical Indications? by Dr. Christopher Heath, Head of Asia Department, Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law in Munich, Germany.
• ?The International Legal Framework Concerning the Protection of Geographical Indications: WIPO Treaties and TRIPS? by Denis Croze, Head of the International Law Development Section (Trade Marks, Designs and Geographical Indications) at WIPO, Switzerland.
• GI and Cognac- a case study, by Ambroise Auge, Deputy Director, Legal and International Affairs of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) in France.
• GI and Teruel Ham- a case study, by Dora de Teresa Almenara, Legal Service of the regulatory consortium for ?Jamon de Teruel,? Spain.
• GIs from ASEAN Perspectives : Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Press clippings from the event.

For a free copy of the proceedings, please contact
ECAP II Press Officer Ms. Supapohn Kanwerayotin
Email:

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