The ‘Re-Localisation’ of Generic GEO Graphical Names

• Pages: 131-156
• Author: Tracy Rengecas
• Date: 16 August 2019
• Citation: (2014) IPLJ 131
• Published date: 16 August 2019

THE ‘RE-LOCALISATION’1 OF

GENERIC GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES



Doctoral Candida te B Proc. LLB, LLM, University of Pret oria

  

      

often arises is not whethe r IP should be protected but rather what t he scope

of that protection should be. When evaluat ing the protection of geographical

indications (GIs), however, it soon becomes clear that it is impossible to deli mit



protection.

Recent developments in this area of IP law have resu lted in a shift of the

focus of protection. Initially on ly the misleading use of a GI was prohibited.

Today proponents of GIs wish to prevent the ‘usurpation’ of these ter ms

and are pursui ng almost dilution-like protection.2 T his kind of protection

for products other than wi ne and spirits extends beyond the c urrent level

of protection prescribed by the Ag reement on Trade-Related Aspects of

Intellectual Pro perty Rights ( TRIPS).3 The absolute protection sought would

prevent the use of the GI by third par ties even where the true or igin of the

product is mentioned. It would also prohibit the use of tra nslations and words

  

GI.

In addition there is an at tempt to ‘claw back’ names that other World Trade

Organization ( WTO) members consider generic. An indicat ion becomes

generic when it loses its ability to denot e a source and instead de notes the

      

mustard, and Chi na porcelain. Once a name ha s become generic it is usually

impossible for it to become distinctive agai n.4 However by including the

protection of certai n names as a condition for favourable trade agreeme nts, the

European Union (EU) ha s managed to reverse this process. Ignoring ‘hist ory

and fact’ it is able to remove the GI from the public domain and r eserve its use

for producers within a ce rtain geograph ical area.5 

   Global In tellectual Propert y Law (2008) 195.

2 A Taubman ‘Think ing locally, acti ng globally: How trade n egotiations over geog raphical

indications i mprovise “fai r trade” rule s’ (2008) 231 IPQ 3 232; LTC Harms ‘A few negative

trends in t he field of intellectu al property rig hts’ (2009) 72 THRHR 175.

3 1994 Agreement on Trad e- related aspects of I ntellectual Pro perty Rights.

  

5 LTC Harms The Enfor cement of Intellectua l Property Rights: A Cas e Book 3 ed (2012) 344.

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(2014) IPLJ 131

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wryly note ‘with political wil l, some supposedly generic product s can be

‘re-localised’.6

Needless to say the extension of the protect ion of GIs and the ‘claw back’

or ‘re-localisation’ of generic GIs is both contentious and contr oversial. South

Africa has not escap ed the fray. It too is seeking to ‘claw-back’ rooibos, a

term some view to be gener ic.7 Moreover, in February 2014 the Depart ment

of Trade and Industry issue d a notice in terms of the Mer chandise Marks Act

17 of 1941 indicating its intention to prohibit the use of 112 names including

Feta, Kalamata, Gorgon zola, ParmigianoReggiano a nd Prosciutto di Parm a.8

The notice states that ex isting users will not be affected.

             9

have since concluded an Economic Part nership Agreement (EPA) with the

EU.10 The EPA contains a provision ensur ing the mutual protection of 251 EU

and 105 South African GIs.11 Some of the GIs mentioned are Feta, Rooibos,

Karoo lamb and Honey Bush.12 

parliament, will allow the cont inued ‘coexistence of already registe red trade

ma r k s ’.13

Although it would appear that the EU is p repared to allow existing us e,

these moves will cert ainly impact new producers who may wish to use name s

such as Feta which have been in use in South Af rica for some time. Prohibiting



The attempt to ‘re-localise’ gener ic names and extend protection appe ars to

be at odds with the tr aditional rationale for the protection of GIs. However if

the aim is to protect the reg ional product instead, the n this level of protection

may well be necessary.

This art icle explores the underlying basis for the protection of GIs and

whether it supports the r e-localisation of generic indications. Part one explai ns

the terminology i n this area of the law; part t wo explores the historical

development of the international protec tion of GIs; part three deals wit h the

current provisions in T RIPS; part four looks at the st atus of the post-TRIPS



its obligations in terms of TR IPS and as well as the method of protection and

lastly part six ta kes a brief look at the assessment of the generic status of GIs.

  

7 S von Lewinski (ed) Indige nous Heritage an d Intellectual Pro perty: Genet ic Resources,

Traditional Knowle dge and Folklore 2 ed (2008) 302.

8 Notice 66 of 2014.

           

Swazila nd).

10 EU Press release IP/14/872 available at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-872_en.htm.

11 EU Press release IP/14/872 (n11).

12 http://m.engineeringnews.co.za/article/rooibos-protected-in-e u-trade-pact-2014-07-22.

13 EU Press releas e IP/14/872 (n11).

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