Policies and Regulations

Chapter 4 Trademarks for Agricultural Products and Geographical Indications

Updated: 2010-04-22 15:21

In 2009, AIC authorities at all levels were committed to enhancing protection for trademarks for agricultural products and Geographical Indications as required by central government, regarded agricultural product trademarks and Geographical Indications as the means to serve and enrich farmers. These efforts were playing a positive role in promoting economic development in countryside.

1. Completing agricultural product trademark and Geographical Indication examination mechanism and enhancing the work in this aspect

In 2009 CTMO took following measures to improve its examination mechanism on Geographical Indications to define institutions, standards, procedures and legal basis for examination.

——Formulating examination procedure for those names related to agricultural plants and varieties, so as to further upgrade examination quality.

——Setting Green Lane for Geographical Indication examination, providing exclusive service and faster examination for the applications.

——Publishing a checklist for Geographical Indication registration plus an application form sample, name list of registered Geographical Indication and related information on the SAIC and CTMO official websites, offering applicants an easy access to government service and information.

——Simplifying examination procedures. Documents from provincial-level competent administration, county annals, county-level agricultural records and product history records were all functional instead of merely documents from provincial-level industrial administration.

——Enhancing the sense of service, such as guiding applicants how to search, correct or supplement their documents.

—— Shortening examination period, as examination to all geographical indications were finished within one year, and timely giving preliminary examination and publication of those qualified.

These measures dramatically speeded up examinations on Geographical Indications. In 2009, 240Geographical Indications were registered or preliminarily approved. Together with 230 in 2208, the two-year’ figure was 1.56 times of that in 15years before 2008.By the end of 2009, China had approved or preliminarily approved 771 Geographical Indications, and 749,800 trademarks for agricultural products.

Launching ceremony of using Zhejiang Long Jing Tea certificate trademark for geographical indication in April 2009.

As required by the West Development Strategy made by the State Council and its arrangement to promote regional economic development, the Trademark Office provided support to western China and countryside with its Enriching Farmers with Trademark program, helped these area to develop distinctive agricultural undertakings, turning their geographical disadvantages into advantages.