Cambodia has recorded Kampot Pepper as the first geographical indication (GI) registered via the Geneva Act of WIPO’s Lisbon System, which provides protection for names identifying the geographic origin of products such as coffee, tea, cheese, wine, pottery, and cloth.
The Lisbon System with the new Geneva Act, which took effect in 2020, allows protection for appellations of origin and geographical indications in the 30-plus countries covered by the System pdf through a single registration procedure and one set of fees, facilitating international trade of origin products.
Both appellations of origin and geographical indications identify products with a specific geographical origin and quality linkages. These intellectual property tools help local producers distinguish their products in the marketplace, helping to boost earnings.
After joining as the first contracting party of the Geneva Act, which expanded the Lisbon System to include GIs, Cambodia is now also the first applicant to register a geographical indication under the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement.
“Each geographical indication tells a story of people and their traditions, communicating to the world the wealth of products that local communities have to offer. WIPO’s Lisbon System helps spread these products worldwide, improving the livelihoods of producers who benefit from increased earnings as well as the lives of consumers who love these products and their links with farmers and artisans across the globe,” said Alexandra Grazioli, Director of the Lisbon Registry.