GI status must be awarded to products that are unique

LUCKNOW: The Agriculture Education and Research minister Rajpal Tyagi said that scientists and experts of Intellectual Property Rights should assist those who manufacture or produce goods that have unique locational attributes and have got Geographical Indicators status.

He said that those involved in producing the famous Kala Namak rice, Malihabadi mangoes, ‘Aaonla’ from Pratapgarh, ‘Itr’ from Kannauj, Lucnow chickan work, Banarasi Sarees should be assisted by experts to preserve their unique attributes and skills.

He was speaking at a national seminar on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) organised in the state capital on Friday and also released a book on IPR authored by noted expert Dr Neeru Bhooshan.

Addressing the participants of the seminar Dr TS Nagarajan said that producers and manufacturers of such products which have unique locational attributes or GI status should get together and form a society and register it in Chennai. This would benefit both the producers and consumers, he said.

The participants in the seminar were informed about patent, copyrights, and GI status etc.

GI status is awarded to products that are unique to a particular region or location. These product posses certain qualities and enjoy a reputation which other similar products do not posses.

Once a product is awarded GI status, producers of other varieties of the same product cannot use the registered name.