New Delhi: New Zealand has taken a binding commitment under its free trade agreement (FTA) with India to amend its laws within 18 months of the pact’s implementation to facilitate the geographical indication (GI) registration of Indian goods, besides wines and spirits in the island nation. A GI, a type of intellectual property right, is primarily an agricultural, natural, or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.The current GI law of New Zealand only allows Indian wines and spirits to be registered. Once a product gets a GI tag, no person or company can sell a similar item under that name. Its other benefits include legal protection for that item, prevention against unauthorised use by others, and promoting exports.“Commitment is now in place to take all steps necessary, including amendment of its law to facilitate the registration of India’s wines, spirits, and ‘other goods,’ a benefit that was accorded to the EU (European Union) by New Zealand.The commerce ministry said that timelines for this are 18 months from the agreement entering into force. The two countries announced the conclusion of the FTA negotiations. The pact is likely to be implemented after the signing of the document, and the process may take about 7-8 months from now.
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