Geographical indications are important intellectual property rights that protect the characteristics, reputation and other characteristics of products in specific areas. They are useful for increasing the added value of products and farmers' income, protecting consumer rights, promoting local economic development, and protecting traditional cultural heritage.
In 2020, China National Intellectual Property Administration issued the "Administrative Measures for the Use of Special Geographical Indications (Trial)" to promote the unified recognition of geographical indications, establish a dynamic management mechanism of "entry and exit", and strengthen the coordinated supervision of companies using geographical indications and special signs. Simultaneously, a pilot reform of the approval of the use of special signs for geographical indications was carried out, and the approval time for the use of special signs was greatly reduced.
In 2020, CNIPA approved the protection of six geographical indication products, approved 1,052 companies to use geographical indication special signs, and approved 765 registration of geographical indication trademarks. According to preliminary calculations, market entities' direct output value using special geographical indications in 2020 totaled 639.806 billion yuan.
Zhang Zhicheng, director of the Intellectual Property Protection Department of CNIPA, said that the protection of geographical indications would be further strengthened, the coverage of the use of special geographical indications will be expanded, the supervision of the protection of geographical indications will be increased, and industry associations, leading enterprises, and demonstration zones for the protection of geographical indication products will be fully utilized. In order to build a high-level protection pattern and serve the high-quality development of the economy and society.
