ALICANTE - The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Council adopted a new regulation that safeguards geographical indications (GIs) for craft and industrial products. The regulation will introduce a new EU intellectual property right which will allow EU Member States to protect the name of renowned non-food products, a press release stated by EUIPO.

This new EU-wide intellectual property right could offer protection to products like Murano glass, Albacete cutlery, Donegal tweed, Porcelaine de Limoges, Solingen cutlery and Boleslawiec pottery.

The regulation from the European Parliament and the Council aims to enable artisans and producers, particularly small businesses, to promote and protect names of their craft and industrial products whose characteristics are essentially attributable to their place of origin.

The objective is to enhance consumers’ ability to recognize and appreciate the quality of these products, facilitating consumers to make more informed choices. Consequently, it will become easier to support the promotion, attraction and retention of skills and job opportunities in the EU.

The regulation comes in the wake of the existing GI protection rules for wines, spirit drinks, foodstuffs and other agricultural products, a framework which has been in place since 1992.

EUIPO’s role in craft and industrial geographical indications

The EUIPO will play an important role in implementing the new system, particularly regarding the management of the registration procedure. The new rules will enable a simple and cost-efficient registration of GIs for craft and industrial products.

Producers should file their GI applications with Member States’ designated authorities, who will then submit successful applications for further evaluation and approval to the EUIPO. Members States that currently do not have a national system in place may request approval for a direct registration procedure to be applicable in their case. If approved, producer groups from those Member States will be allowed to file their applications directly with the EUIPO.