HC direction on PIL

Madras High Court today directed
the Union Industries and Commerce Ministry to dispose of a representation seeking additional protection through a statutory notification for Indian Handicraft products having Geographical Indication Status.
A vacation Division Bench, comprising Justice KBK Vasuki and Justice S. Vaidyanathan, directed the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Ministry to dispose of the representation within six weeks.
The court was hearing a PIL filed on behalf of the President and Advocate P.Sanjay Gandhi for Intellectual Property Rights Attorney Association (IPRAA).
In his PIL, Sanjay Gandhi submitted that while 130 items including the foreign made spirits and liquors enjoy additional protection with GI tag in India, Indian Handicraft Products having GI Status do not have such additional protection.

He sought a direction to Centre to issue statutory notification providing additional protection to Indian GI Products.He contended that he had already sent a representation in this regard to the Centre to grant additional protection to the GI Registered Handicrafts in India and abroad by issuing official notification under section 22(2) of Geographical Indication of goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999.
He said 193 items were now registered under GI Act in India of which 128 are handicraft products. He submitted that when a privilege of additional protection is enjoyed by liquor and spirits produced by foreign manufacturers since 2011, it was necessary to tighten the protection to safeguard the economic and social interest of the original manufacturers whose livelihood depend upon the GI protection.

"The GI tag is obtained only to stop and prevent any others not connected to Geographical Region of Origin from imitating the same products and sell it under original name," he said.