The newsfeeds of Intellectual Property enthusiasts and connoisseurs of fine desserts were recently inundated with news of the Rasgulla being granted Geographical Indication (‘GI’) registration in India. In the midst of all the hype and hoopla, the Chief Minister of West Bengal (a State to the east of India) went on to tweet “Sweet news […]
The Swiss Don’t Miss in Malaysian Geographical Indications Dispute
The apex court of Malaysia – the Federal Court – recently provided its grounds of judgment in Chocosuisse Union Des Fabricants Suisses De Chocolat, Kraft Food Schweiz AG and Nestlé Suisse SA v. Maestro Swiss Chocolate Sdn. Bhd. The decision centred primarily on the tort of extended passing off and the Geographical Indications Act. […]
Malaysia – The Bitter Battle For Better Chocolate
In the global endeavour to afford protection to GIs, Malaysia has been an active crusader. There are a large number of GIs particular to Malaysia such as Sarawak Pepper, Sabah Tea, Borneo Virgin Coconut Oil and Kelantan Budu (anchovy sauce), to name a few. In 2000, the Malaysian Government enacted the Geographical Indications Act, under […]
Update and Review of the Protection of Geographical Indications in Indonesia
On 4 September 2007, the Indonesian Government endorsed the Government Regulation No. 51 Year 2007 (GR 51) as the implementing regulation for the provision on Geographical Indications (GI) provided under Chapter VII Law No. 15 Year 2001 concerning Marks. A geographical indication, by definition of GR 51 Article 1, is a sign that indicates the […]