THE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION OF GOODS (Registration and Protection) ACT, 1999
CHAPTER 2 - THE REGISTER AND CONDITIONS FOR REGISTRATION
- 3. REGISTRAR OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
- 4. POWER OF REGISTRAR TO WITHDRAW OR TRANSFER CASES ETC.
- 5. GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS REGISTRY AND OFFICES THEREOF.
- 6. REGISTER OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
- 7. PART A AND PART B OF THE REGISTER.
- 8. REGISTRATION TO BE IN RESPECT OF PARTICULAR GOODS AND AREA.
- 9. PROHIBITION OF REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
- 10. REGISTRATION OF HOMONYMOUS GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
3. REGISTRAR OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
(1) The Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks appointed under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, shall be the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
(2) The Central Government may appoint such officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of discharging, under the superintendence and direction of the Registrar, such functions of the Registrar under this Act, as he may from time to time authorise them to discharge.
4. POWER OF REGISTRAR TO WITHDRAW OR TRANSFER CASES ETC.
Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 3, the Registrar may, by order in writing and for reasons to be recorded therein, withdraw any matter pending before an officer appointed under the said sub-section (2) and deal with such matter himself either de novo or from the stage it was so withdrawn or transfer the same to another officer so appointed who may, subject to special directions in the order of transfer, proceed with the matter either de novo or from the stage it was so transferred.
5. GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS REGISTRY AND OFFICES THEREOF.
(1) For the purpose of this Act, there shall be established a Registry which shall be known as the Geographical Indications Registry.
(2) The head office of the Geographical Indications Registry shall be at such place as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, an for the purpose of facilitating the registrations of geographical indications, there may be established at such places as the Central Government may think fit branch offices of the Geographical Indications Registry.
(3) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, define the territorial limits within which an office of the Geographical Indications Registry may exercise its functions.
(4) There shall be a seal of the Geographical Indications Registry.
6. REGISTER OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a record called the Register of geographical indications shall be kept at the head office of the Geographical Indications Registry, wherein shall be entered all registered geographical indications with the names, addresses and descriptions of the proprietors, the names, addresses and descriptions of authorised users and such other matters relating to registered geographical indications as may be prescribed and such registers may be maintained wholly or partly on computer.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (I), it shall be lawful for the Registrar to keep the records wholly or partly in computer floppies or diskettes or in any other electronic form, subject to such safeguards as may be prescribed.
(3) Where such register is maintained wholly or partly in computer floppies or diskettes or in any other electronic form under sub-section (2), any reference in this Act to any entry in the register shall be construed as the reference to the entry as maintained on computer floppies or diskettes or in any other electronic form, as the case may be.
(4) No notice of any trust, express or implied or constructive, shall be entered in the register and no such notice shall be receivable by the Registrar.
(5) Subject to the superintendence and direction of the Central Government, the register shall be kept under the control and management of the Registrar.
(6) There shall be kept at each branch office of the Geographical Indications Registry a copy of the register and such other documents mentioned in section 78 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct.
7. PART A AND PART B OF THE REGISTER.
(1) The register referred to in section 6 shall be divided into two Parts called respectively Part A and Part B.
(2) The particulars relating to the registration of the geographical indications shall be incorporated and form part of Part A of the register in the prescribed manner.
(3) The particulars relating to the registration of the authorised users shall be incorporated and form part of Part B of the register in the prescribed manner.
8. REGISTRATION TO BE IN RESPECT OF PARTICULAR GOODS AND AREA.
(1) A geographical indication may be registered in respect of any or all of the goods, comprised in such class of goods as may be classified by the Registrar and in respect of a definite territory of a country, or a region or locality in that territory, as the case may be.
(2) The Registrar shall classify the goods under sub-section (1), as far as may be, in accordance with the International classification of goods for the purposes of registration of geographical indications.
(3) The Registrar may publish in the prescribed manner an alphabetical index of classification of goods referred to in sub-section (2).
(4) Any question arising as to the class within which any goods fall or in the definite area as referred to in sub-section (1) in respect of which the geographical indication is to be registered or where any goods are not specified in the alphabetical index of goods published under sub-section (3) shall be determined by the Registrar whose decision in the matter shall be final.
9. PROHIBITION OF REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
A geographical indication:
(a) the use of which would be likely to deceive or cause confusion; or
(b) the use of which would be contrary to any law for the time being in force; or
(c) which comprises or contains scandalous or obscene matter; or
(d) which comprise or contains any matter likely to hurt the religious susceptibilities of any class or section of the citizens of India; or
(e) which would otherwise be disentitled to protection in a court; or
(f) which are determined to be generic names or indications of goods and are, therefore, not or ceased to be protected in their country of origin, or which have fallen into disuse in that country; or
(g) which although literally true as to the territory, region or locality in which the goods originate, but falsely represent to the persons that the goods originate in another territory, region or locality, as the case may be, shall not be registered as a geographical indication.
Explanation 1 : For the purposes of this section, “generic names or indications”, in relation to goods, means the name of a goods which, although relates to the place or the region where the goods was originally produced or manufactured, has lost its original meaning and has become the common name of such goods and serves as a designation for or indication of the kind, nature, type or other property or characteristic of the goods.
Explanation 2 : In determining whether the name has become generic, account shall be taken of all factors including the existing situation in the region or place in which the name originates and the area of consumption of the goods.
10. REGISTRATION OF HOMONYMOUS GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7, a homonymous geographical indication may be registered under this Act, if the Registrar is satisfied, after considering the practical conditions under which the homonymous indication in question shall be differentiated from other homonymous indications and the need to ensure equitable treatment of the producers of the goods concerned, that the consumers of such goods shall not be confused or misled in consequence of such registration.