Three state products await GI registration

Three products from Orissa are pending before the GI (Geographical Indications) registry in Chennai for GI registration. These products include the designs of the famous silk sarees of Sambalpur and Berhampur.

At present, only three products from the state-Khandua patta, appliqué work of Pipili and the wheel of Sun temple at Konark have been registered in the GI registry in Chennai, said Bijaya Kumar Sahu, scientific officer, intellectual property and management division of National Research Development Corporation. “As many as 96 different products across the country have been given the GI mark by the authorities at the GI registry in Chennai so far. Similarly, out of over 35,000 applications filed for claiming Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), 15, 312 have been granted IPRs by the Intellectual Property office in New Delhi”, he added. Sahu was speaking at a two-day seminar on ‘Intellectual Property and Innovation Management in Knowledge Era’, organised by NRDC in collaboration with Berhampur University. The seminar was organised by the NRDC to create awareness about the different aspects of the IPRs. GI is an indication for identification of agricultural, natural or manufactured goods originating in a particular location. The product to be registered under GI should have a specific quality which is unique to the geographical location.

The GI registration confers legal protection to geographical indications in the country and prevents unauthorized use of registered GIs by others. It also boosts exports by providing legal protection in other World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries and promotes economic prosperity of the producers.

In case of patents, the patentee has the exclusive rights for use of the patent. The person can take legal action against any infringement and can commercially exploit its potential as the patented product cannot be copied or imitated without the permission of the patentee during the period of the patent.

“The consumer would be benefited because of the patents as cheaper products would be available in the market. The research and development (R&D) activities would also get a big boost”, claimed Sahu.

NRDC is a service organisation that endeavors to encourage innovative talent in the country. NRDC and the Union ministry of food processing Industries have recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement.

The agreement will enable NRDC to tap all the funded research of the Ministry of food processing and also to commercialize the technologies, processes and products developed by the assisted institutions.

“This step will make available appropriate and cost effective technologies to the various small scale and medium scale entrepreneurs as well as all entrepreneurs intending to start processing units”, said a document of NRDC.