WIPO China: Geographic Indication is a Sign of Quality（2021 CIFTIS Series 2)

September 15, 2021

On September 5, the 2021 International Symposium on Country of Origin Geographical Indications Product Brand Distribution Service was jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization Office in China (WOC), World Trade Point Federation (WTPF), Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau and Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office (BJIPO) in the China National Conference Center in Beijing. Ms. Liu Hua, Director of WOC, Mr. Zhou Huiguo, Deputy Commissioner of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and Mr. Zhang Qing, Deputy Director of Beijing Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress delivered opening remarks. Mr. Bruno Masier, President of WTPF and Mr. Agni Prasad Sapkota, Dean of the House of Representatives of Nepal delivered video remarks. Mr. Yang Dongqi, Director General of BJIPO, presided over the opening ceremony.

Ms. Liu noted that geographical indications (GIs), as the oldest form of intellectual assets, are the interpretation and inheritance of human civilization, nature and traditional development. Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, highlighted that GI is "a key branding tool”and "a sign of quality and authenticity". Compared with ordinary products, GIs products have unique quality and good reputation, often generating brand premium, multiplying income, driving the development of related industrial chains, boosting employment and promoting regional economic growth and development. GIs can also be used as a collective branding tool to help enhance the competitive advantage of national products in international trade and promote trade growth.

Ms. Liu mentioned that the protection of GIs has become an effective path for China to promote poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, urban-rural integration and common development. In December 2020, the WOC visited Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, to study the case of Sangzhi leaves for Zongzi，i.e., traditional Chinese rice-puddings, a GIs product. Thanks to the support of intellectual property rights (IPRs), Sangzhi has become the largest export base of dumpling leaves, which are exported to 16 countries and regions including Southeast Asia, with an annual sales volume of more than 8,000 tons and a total annual sales value of over 120 million yuan. Similarly, after having been registered as GIs, Pinggu peaches is 30% higher than other peaches in price and occupies about 40% of China's fresh peach exports. As the famous hometown of large peaches in China and the largest fruit area in the capital, Beijing Pinggu has an annual output of 210 million kilograms of large peaches, with two Guinness World Records for the world's largest concentrated continuous peach orchard and the most cultivated varieties, having a brand value of more than 9 billion yuan.

Ms. Liu highlighted WIPO services, in particular the Madrid International Trademark Registration System (Madrid system) and the Lisbon System of International Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications(Lisbon system) which provide international registration and protection of GIs in an economical, convenient and efficient manner. Under the Madrid system, collective marks and certification marks of GIs can obtain protection in 124 countries. Under the Lisbon system, appellations of origin and GIs can be protected in 55 countries. At present, about 1,500 international GIs have been applied for registration through the WIPO Lisbon System.

Ms. Liu addressed that China has rich GI resources and in its long historical development, it has produced a large number of local products with strong regional characteristics, whose special qualities have naturally formed brand benefits and developed into GI products. Many of them constitute main parts of the local economy or even the pillar industry, and have great potential to enter the international market. WIPO hopes to cooperate with and support China in the protection of GIs and jointly promote GIs products with Chinese characteristics to the global market, and to the world through WIPO global registration system.

Mr. Zhou Huiguo mentioned that the CNIPA has continued to deepen the reform of GIs, continued to improve the governance capabilities and levels of GIs, and achieved good results: GIs and its legal techniques have been continuously consolidated, the development environment of GIs has been optimized, the comprehensive benefits of GIs have been improved and the international cooperation in the protection of GIs has been deepened. As of the end of June this year, a total of 2,478 GI protection products have been granted, 6,339 GIs have been registered as collective marks and certification marks, and the total number of market entities eligible to use the special standards for GIs has exceeded 14,000. Mr. Zhang Qing pointed out that GIs are cultural treasures nurtured by a special geographical environment and splendid regional culture, which are an important measures and toolkit to develop an economy with characteristics and enhance targeted poverty alleviation. In recent years, Beijing has continued to deepen the reform of the GIs mechanism, constantly emphasizing the importance of GIs protection, which has strongly stimulated market enthusiasm and effectively promoted regional economic development. Beijing will further improve the legalization of GIs-related IP rights, improve administrative enforcement and judicial protection, crack down on infringements, deepen international cooperation, and promote the two-way flow of GIs.

Mr. Bruno Masier introduced that, in recent years, WTPF has actively promoted the construction and development of trade networks in relevant countries, helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries to participate in international trade. WTPF protects products traditional specialties of underdeveloped countries and regions through IP tools such as GIs and trademarks to increases the added value of products and broaden regional or international distribution channels. Mr. Agni Prasad Sapkota mentioned that Nepal has a comparative advantage derived from its unique geographical location to produce unique products of high value and small volume that can be easier transported. Nepal is actively nurturing GIs products, creating and enhancing trade in distinctive GIs products, and creating a strong impetus for economic development.

In the keynote speech session, Mr. Zhang Zhicheng, Director General of Intellectual Property Protection Department of CNIPA, Mr. Chen Yusong, Second-level Inspector of the Ministry of Commerce of China, Mr. Wen Xue, Counsellor of WOC, Mr. Jin Xuejun, President of Beijing Intellectual Property Court, Mr. Damian Max Plan, Counsellor of Delegation of the European Union, Mr. Xie Hua, Director General of Urban and Rural Development Research Center made presentations on the topics concerning the protection and development of GIs in China, the Lisbon System of Geographical Indication Protection, and the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement.

With the theme of "Cooperation and Sharing, Win-win Development", the 2021 International Symposium on Country of Origin Geographical Indications Product Brand Distribution Service attracted more than 500 representatives from international organizations, relevant governments and departments from China and abroad, industry associations, and enterprises online and offline. The Symposium conducted in-depth discussions on the protection of GIs products and industrial development of production areas, distribution models, and poverty alleviation projects with GIs products in various countries, further promoted international exchanges between enterprises of GIs products. The Symposium is of great significance in promoting the use of GIs products by SMEs to drive rural revitalization and the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

About the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS)

The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is an event co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Beijing Municipal People's Government. It has been successfully held for seven years so far. It was upgraded to a national level exhibition in 2020. It is the largest and most comprehensive high-level international first-class exhibition in the field of global service trade and has been ranked as one of the three major exhibition platforms for China's opening to the outside world.

Themes “Towards Digital Future and Service Driven Development”, 2021 CIFTIS focuses on digital economy development, fully demonstrates new trends of digitalization development. The Fair has set up a digital service area for the first time to showcase the latest achievements in service areas such as unmanned driving, smart transportation, building digitalization, and new audio-visual, and enhance the level of marketization and professionalism.

The 2021 CIFTIS will hold 5 summit forums, 193 forum meetings and promotion and negotiation activities as well as 8 side events, attracting more than 10,000 enterprises from 153 countries and regions to attend.