Geographical Indications A GI tag is a legal recognition giv | UPSC Current Affairs Daily

Geographical Indications

A GI tag is a legal recognition given primarily to an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts & industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
GI tag conveys an assurance of quality & distinctiveness of a product, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.
Most commonly, a geographical indication includes the name of the place of origin of the goods.
Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products.
It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.
Geographical Indicators in India are governed by “The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999”.

Difference between a Geographical Indication (GI) & a Trademark?
A trademark is a sign/word/phrase used by an entity to distinguish its goods & services from those of others.
A geographical indication tells consumers that a product is produced in a certain place & has certain characteristics that are due to that place of production.
A trademark gives the entity the right to prevent others from using the trademark.
On the other hand, GI may be used by all producers who make their products in the place designated by a geographical indication.

Trade secrets

Trade secrets are IP rights on confidential information which may be sold or licensed.
The unauthorized acquisition use or disclosure of such secret information by others is regarded as an unfair practice & a violation of the trade secret protection.
There is no specific law.