Geographical Indications (GI) Tags
Law and Significance
A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is an intellectual property right that links a product's name to its geographic origin, guaranteeing that the product possesses qualities or a reputation attributable to that place. In India, GI tags are governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force on September 15, 2003. The Act is administered by the GI Registry under the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks, Chennai. Internationally, GIs are covered under Articles 22-24 of the TRIPS Agreement (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) under the WTO.
- GI registration process: Application → Examination → Publication in GI Journal → 3-month opposition window → Registration
- "Tangail Saree of Bengal" GI application filed: September 8, 2020; published in GI Journal: August 31, 2023; registered: January 2, 2024
- No formal opposition was filed during the 3-month window (by Bangladesh or any party), allowing the registration to proceed
- A GI registration is valid for 10 years, renewable indefinitely
- As of 2024, India has over 600 registered GI products across textiles, handicrafts, food, and agricultural products
● Tracked since February 11, 2026 · last seen April 25, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes