New political agreement to strengthen the protection of European industrial and craft goods in the EU
The EU Commission welcomes the European Parliament and Council’s provisional political agreement on a new Regulation to protect intellectual property for craft and industrial goods that rely on the uniqueness and originality of traditional skills from their regions.
Glass, textiles, porcelain, cutlery, pottery, cuckoo clocks, musical instruments, and furniture will all be covered under this framework. While such products benefit from an EU and sometimes global reputation and standing, manufacturers have so far lacked an EU program that recognizes and protects the geographical connection between the products’ reputation and quality.
The new Regulation will allow EU manufacturers to protect their products and industrial goods, as well as their traditional know-how, throughout Europe and beyond, including online. Consumers will be able to recognize the quality of these products and make better decisions thanks to the Regulation. It will aid in the promotion, attraction, and retention of resources and employment in Europe’s regions, contributing to their economic growth. The legislation would also set conventional craft and industrial goods on an equal footing with protected geographical indications that already exist in the agriculture sector.
Geographical indication for industrial goods and craft under the new EU regulation will:
- Assist manufacturers in protecting and upholding the intellectual property rights of their goods across the EU, the new regulation on Geographical indication will protect geographical indications of industrial goods and craft in the EU. The existing fragmented and inadequate national protection will also be addressed. The new Regulation will also make it easier to take legal action against counterfeit goods, particularly those that are offered online, and to protect industrial and craft GIs online.
- Establish a two-level registration procedure to make the GIs registration process for industrial goods and crafts simpler and cost-effective. Producers would be required to file their GI applications to designated Member State authorities, who would subsequently file applications to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for additional examination and approval. For Member States without a national registration process in place, there will be a direct application process to EUIPO. The new rule will make the process simpler to register GIs, especially for SMEs. Additionally, the new legislation gives manufacturers the option to certify on their own behalf that their goods adhere to the product criteria, which makes the procedure simpler and less expensive.
- Allow producers of registered industrial GIs to protect their goods in every EU country that has ratified the Geneva Act on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), to which the EU acceded in November 2019, which regulates craft and industrial GIs. This will allow for complete compatibility with international GI protection. Additionally, it will now be allowed to protect equivalent GIs imported from countries outside the EU.
- Contribute to the growth of Europe’s rural and other regions by offering incentives to manufacturers, particularly SMEs, to invest in new original products and establish niche markets. The new Regulation will also aid in the preservation of unique skills that might otherwise be lost, notably in Europe’s rural and less developed regions. The new GIs’ reputation would help regions. This can help attract tourists and create new high-skilled employment in the regions, improving their economic recovery.
Current EU legislation protects geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural goods, food, and wines. The new Regulation would provide a supplementary protection framework, as well as solid intellectual property protection, increased consumer information, and regional recovery. The new approach will provide the same degree of protection while accounting for the differences in the nature of craft and industrial goods and will be prepared for implementation by 2025.
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