A conference regarding a New Act of the Lisbon Agreement was held in Geneva from 11 to 21 May, 2015.
The Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a New Act of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration was held at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters.
The conference concluded successfully on May 21 with the adoption of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications. The new Act includes extending the scope of protection to geographical indications (similar to an appellation of origin but with less stringent criteria) and the possibility of accession by certain intergovernmental organisations.
Originally concluded in 1958, the Lisbon Agreement has 28 member states and offers a means of obtaining protection for an appellation of origin in all member states through a single registration.
A geographical indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a geographical indication, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place. In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin. Since the qualities depend on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between the product and its original place of production.
Article Published June 1st, 2015
