New process launched to streamline geographic indicator IP protections

A new system will allow creators of craftwork, such as woodworking or fabrics, to apply for EU-wide protection through a single application on the EUIPO website.

The move, which came into effect from 1 December, is designed to make it easier for traditional and regionally specific producers to protect their work from an influx of cheap, counterfeit goods from outside the area.

Maureen Daly, an intellectual property expert with Pinsent Masons in Dublin, said the new protection would be a huge benefit to skilled craftworkers both in Ireland and across the EU.

“Locally made craftwork are more than just products,” she said.  “They embody centuries of knowledge, skill and cultural identity.

“This new protection for craft products – as well as industrial products – will help strengthen regional economies by creating sustainable jobs, and safeguard crafts by bolstering the fight against counterfeit products, preserving the uniqueness of craftwork and ensuring authentic, quality products for consumers.”

Geographical indication (GI) is an intellectual property right that protects the name of a product that has a specific geographical origin and owes its qualities or reputation to its particular origin.

Prior to the new system’s introduction, EU GI protection only applied to agricultural products, foodstuffs, wines and spirit drinks but now has been extended to craft and industrial work whether made by hand or machine – as long as one of the steps in production takes place in that region of origin.

The new system means that once craft producers have applied at a national level, such as the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, and no oppositions have been raised, their application will then be forwarded to the EUIPO to finalise the registration procedure. The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland has indicated that it will use the EUIPO GI portal to process such applications.