Pakistan: Pakistan Gears Up To Become A Member Of The Lisbon Agreement For Global Geographical Indication Protection

Pakistan: Pakistan gears up to become a member of the Lisbon Agreement for global Geographical Indication protection¹

An Inter-Ministerial Meeting took place at the headquarters of the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) on the 11th of August 2023, to gather input from Federal Ministries, Departments, and Provincial Departments regarding Pakistan's potential accession to the Lisbon Agreement (Geneva Act) of 2015².

Ms. Shazia Adnan, the Director General of IPO-Pakistan informed the attendees about Pakistan's Geographical Indication System, the currently registered Geographical Indications, and the importance of Pakistan considering membership in the Lisbon Agreement (Geneva Act) of 2015. She also discussed IPO-Pakistan's ambitions to secure international registration for Pakistan's GIs, particularly highlighting the case of Basmati Rice³. The Director of IPO-Pakistan provided a comprehensive presentation on the Lisbon Agreement (Geneva Act) of 2015, detailing how Pakistan could optimize its resources by utilizing a single set of applications and fees through the Agreement for the international registration of its GIs.

By joining the Lisbon Agreement, Pakistan will gain the ability to safeguard its Geographical Indications in over 80 countries through a single application submitted to WIPO. This streamlined process will greatly enhance the business environment.

This move opens doors for Pakistani products like Basmati Rice, Pink Salt, Hunza Apricot, Chaunsa Mango, Sindhi Ajrak, Ziarat Cherry, Peshawari Chapal, Kinnow (citrus), and more, enabling them to be introduced as recognized national brands in the global market.

Footnotes

1. https://ipo.gov.pk/node/2583 (2023.8.11)

2. https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo_pub_239.pdf (2015.5.20)

3. Rice brochure (tdap.gov.pk)

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