Definition
The issues at hand. Geographical indications (GIs) are signs (or symbols) used in connection with the sale of goods which convey an association, direct or indirect, with a place or location, which may be relevant for certain features of the good in question.
Rules concerning GIs may be found both at the municipal (or domestic) level and in international agreements. The international framework for dealing with GIs is to be found in the 1883 Paris Convention, in the 1891 Madrid Arrangement and in the 1958 Lisbon agreement. After the adoption by the European Union of the sui generis regime for GIs and designations of origin in 1992, a multilateral equilibrium was found in the 1994 TRIPs agreement.
When the same geographical symbol is used simultaneously by many businesses, a number of issues arise which may be dealt with in several ways. The different alternatives are discussed hereafter along with the reasons which may dictate the choice among them. They all rely, however, on...
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Ricolfi, M. (2019). Geographical Indications. In: Marciano, A., Ramello, G.B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Law and Economics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7753-2_192
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