Washington, D.C. – The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) praises the U.S. delegation for its steadfast determination and success regarding contentious geographical indications (GI) issues during last week's intense budget deliberations at the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. As a result of U.S. efforts, WIPO has resolved to institute a more equitable system for administration of the controversial Lisbon Agreement, and has also charged the main committee responsible for GIs to take a broader look at the varying ways countries are dealing with GI protections around the world.
U.S. representatives to the WIPO budget committee earlier this year argued that the Lisbon Agreement system has never paid for itself and is subsidized by other WIPO programs, even though the Lisbon Agreement only benefits a small number of WIPO members.
"The United States has shown true leadership and resolve in calling out the inequities in how the Lisbon GI system was being administered. Equally important, they are putting the controversies surrounding how GIs are currently managed on everyone's radar, to the benefit of food producers and consumers around the world," said CCFN Executive Director Jaime Castaneda.
Castaneda says CCFN looks forward to a broader discussion of GIs within WIPO, referring to the General Assembly's charge to the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), "to examine the different systems for protection of geographical indications, within its current mandate and covering all aspects."
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The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN) is an independent, international non-profit alliance whose goal is to work with leaders in agriculture, trade and intellectual property rights to foster the adoption of high standards and model geographical indication guidelines throughout the world. Those interested in joining can find information at www.CommonFoodNames.com
Source: Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN)
