Meeting Took Place at Sakpatenti

On March 19, a meeting took place at Sakpatenti Tbilisi Office, where amendments of the Law of Georgia “On Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods” were discussed, which implies approximation of the Law with the Geneva Act of Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration. 

Along with staff members of Sakpatenti, representatives of relevant state agencies, as well as Ms. Alexandra Grazioli, Director of Lisbon Registry, from the Brands and Designs Sector at WIPO, and Mr. Pascal Bernardoni, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also participated in the meeting.

The planned legislative amendments cover harmonization of definitions of appellations of origin and geographical indications with the Geneva Act, definition of the state control mechanism, identification of basic elements of specifications of goods and terms of making amendments to them. Amendments are also related with specification of procedures of conducting examination, consideration of legal mechanisms of protection of exclusive rights, and other significant issues. 

To draft the above-mentioned amendments to the Law of Georgia “On Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications of Goods”, the foreign experts will stay in Georgia until March 22.