GI, short for Geographical Indication, is a system of marking products for their particular geographic origin based on heritage and possession of special qualities or reputation. Simply put, it gets the state a worldwide recognition for its unique products; ensuring good prices in the international market which is ultimately beneficial for the people (directly or indirectly) involved in the trade.
Citing studies, it can be said that buyers pay at least 10-30 percent higher prices for a good GI product. Alternatively, a GI registration also means that the consumers will be getting better quality products with every purchase. The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) publishes a gazette, inviting objections against any GI registration within two months of filing it; if no one opposes then the GI registration is specified.
Similarly, the gazette for the Hilsa had been filed in June 1, 2017 without any confrontation from any sides. The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks handed over the GI certificate for Hilsa to the Department of Fisheries at a programme held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
With the GI registration, Hilsa or Ilish will now be globally identified as a fish of Bangladesh origin.
After Jamdani Sari, the fish Hilsa has secured recognition as the second geographical indication (GI) product of Bangladesh. Build Better Bangladesh (B-Cube), a foundation that stages movements to acquire international recognition of Bangladeshi products, said this makes the path easier for another 70 Bangladeshi products to secure GI. The Bangladesh Government hopes to file many more GI registrations in the future, on distinctive local products like Nakshi Kantha, Satranji, Fazli Mango etc.
Hoping is nice but the government must be more proactive in getting GI certification for other local products – this must be done as soon as possible to ensure that we have the legal right to certify products which are part of our local traditions. GI tagging has been around since 2003. Till date our neighbour India has managed to certify 295 products for GI. So why are we stuck at only two?
We are already late to the game – our first GI product, Jamdani Saris, got its certification only in November 2016. Since then we have managed to add only one more item to the list. When we have around 70 or more to got. It doesn’t make sense to take such a lackadaisical approach. We should target around 20-30 products each year to complete the process as soon as possible to ensure that only we can trademark and use them in the future.
Especially since West Bengal has already filed and received official GI certification for two products that are also part of our cultural traditions – Nakshi Kantha and Fazli Mango. A slow approach will only ensure that others will have the right to use the names of products which have been a part of our lives for centuries.
Citing studies, it can be said that buyers pay at least 10-30 percent higher prices for a good GI product. Alternatively, a GI registration also means that the consumers will be getting better quality products with every purchase. The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) publishes a gazette, inviting objections against any GI registration within two months of filing it; if no one opposes then the GI registration is specified.
Similarly, the gazette for the Hilsa had been filed in June 1, 2017 without any confrontation from any sides. The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks handed over the GI certificate for Hilsa to the Department of Fisheries at a programme held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
With the GI registration, Hilsa or Ilish will now be globally identified as a fish of Bangladesh origin.
After Jamdani Sari, the fish Hilsa has secured recognition as the second geographical indication (GI) product of Bangladesh. Build Better Bangladesh (B-Cube), a foundation that stages movements to acquire international recognition of Bangladeshi products, said this makes the path easier for another 70 Bangladeshi products to secure GI. The Bangladesh Government hopes to file many more GI registrations in the future, on distinctive local products like Nakshi Kantha, Satranji, Fazli Mango etc.
Hoping is nice but the government must be more proactive in getting GI certification for other local products – this must be done as soon as possible to ensure that we have the legal right to certify products which are part of our local traditions. GI tagging has been around since 2003. Till date our neighbour India has managed to certify 295 products for GI. So why are we stuck at only two?
We are already late to the game – our first GI product, Jamdani Saris, got its certification only in November 2016. Since then we have managed to add only one more item to the list. When we have around 70 or more to got. It doesn’t make sense to take such a lackadaisical approach. We should target around 20-30 products each year to complete the process as soon as possible to ensure that only we can trademark and use them in the future.
Especially since West Bengal has already filed and received official GI certification for two products that are also part of our cultural traditions – Nakshi Kantha and Fazli Mango. A slow approach will only ensure that others will have the right to use the names of products which have been a part of our lives for centuries.
