Importance of Geographical Indication

With the rapid advancements in technology and innovation, almost everything is undergoing reforms. Various sectors, including agricultural, industrial, and many others are developing at a high pace. For example, some years ago, we were able to have the pleasure of just a few varieties of tea, say one or two. But, nowadays, people have involved themselves in producing various other varieties of tea. Besides, many fake people are trying to earn money in the wrong way by selling counterfeit or poor-quality products. Geographical Indication (GI) is one of the best solutions that:

• Help the genuine producers to avail optimum cost for their premium goods even in the competitive market
• Prevent false practices of generating and selling low-quality products
• Assist the customers to buy the premium products

There are a lot of benefits that display the importance of geographical indication. Now, before going through those merits, let’s get familiar with some other facts relating to GI.

What is the Geographical Indication?

Geographical Indication is a tag for natural and agricultural products produced in a particular area or region. The products that achieve the GI tag are known for their excellence and hold a sense of authenticity and trust.

Some Indian products that have acquired the GI tag are as follows:

• Darjeeling Tea of India was the first product to attain GI grant. Both the logo and name of this famous tea were given protection under the Intellectual Property laws.
• Alluring everyone with its peerless aroma and long grains, Basmati Rice is unique to regions recognized as Indo-Gangetic plains. After years of legal battle, seven Indian states came in the list of GI tag achievers in the year 2016.

Apart from agricultural goods, following products fall under Geographical Indication Protection:

• Natural such as Makrana marble
• Handicraft like Kashmiri pashmina
• Foodstuff such as Dharwadpedha

The main intention behind providing GI status is to prevent issues because of unfair competition and misstatement in regards to the goods’ geographical origins.

How Geographical Indication Protection is important?

Quite often, we doubt whether the geographical indication is worthwhile. Let’s have a look at the below benefits relating to GI protection and get a precise solution to this confusion that keeps hovering over millions of minds.

Boosts Export

GI tag bestows the growers with a legal security shield that motivates them to make more efforts and increase the production of better quality products. A rise in production enables the farmers and nation to export more. Hence, we can say that geographical indication boosts up exports.

Grows Economic Wealth

By rewarding the products with a good reputation, geographical indication plays a vital role in making the producers confident to ask optimal prices for their world-class products. It means GI protection results in the growth of the economic wealth of producers, which further leads to the development of their country’s economy.

Deters Misuse

Graphical indication protection provides the producer with legal rights to prevent anyone who does not belong to his geographical region from misusing his certification. It is the best way to prevent damages to the reputation of genuine farmers and their high-quality goods. As per some reports, the growers who sell with a tag of a geographical indication face minimum possible competition from fake vendors who vend bogus commodities.

Enhances Tourism

GI certification builds up the product’s reputation not just within the country but throughout the entire world, which makes people from different areas to come and see the origin of these products. All these facts ensure growth in tourism.

Conclusion

Today, producers in diverse regions of territories tend to produce various goods, but providing each product with geographical indication seems quite arduous. Since the officials have to consider a lot of facts while putting a product into the list of geographical indication achievers, all goods don’t deserve attaining this tag. For acquiring the GI tag, the producers should ensure that their products meet the standards set by the government or other authorities. Hopefully, the above-given merits have helped you in figuring out the significant role geographical indication protection plays in our lives. The GI tag is useful for not just producers but customers and nation as well. For more visit: https://www.kashishipr.com/