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Strong objection to geographical indicators

Cheese Travel Wisconsin

The leadership of four Congressional committees has sent a letter to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) expressing disappointment over some changes to the rules governing geographical indicators (GIs).  WIPO is a World Trade Organization agency charged with the development of an intellectual property protection system.

At a meeting in Geneva in May, the WIPO approved changes which would limit the use of some common names for agricultural and non-agricultural products.  The limits would affect a number of cheese and wine names that originated in specific geographic locations.  The changes would limit the uses of such names to products originating from specific geographic areas.  The U.S. and a number of other countries contend such names have been popularized by producers around the world and therefore are generic.  The U.S. also disputes the WIPO process used in making the changes at the meeting in Geneva.

The letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT); House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI); Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ranking Member Sandy Levin (D-MI); calls on the WIPO to implement a fair and balanced protection of trademark owners and generic names.  The letter also questions whether the changes violate other international trade agreements.

The National Milk Producers Federation, International Dairy Foods Association, U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Consortium for Common Food Names praised the representatives for authoring the letter.  USDEC president Tom Suber says “If this is WIPO’s model for the future, the United States will need to reassess the benefits of belonging to the organization.”

Read a copy of the letter here:

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