GI certification boosts prices of products by 20-30%: Intellectual property experts

The Bangladesh Intellectual Property Forum has called on the relevant ministries and departments to take steps to ensure that local products can easily obtain Geographical Indication (GI) certification.

The forum organised a press conference on the theme, "Protection of Bangladeshi GI Products", at its office in the capital's Gulshan-2 area.

Md Manzurur Rahman, CEO of Bangladesh Intellectual Property Forum, said, "Even though we have many products that qualify for GI, we are constantly lagging behind in the competition for resource protection. To get out of this situation, we need awareness."

He added that GI certification gives producers a unique identity for their products. It makes their products stand out from similar products from other countries. As a result, a separate reputation is created for their products. They can also charge 20% to 30% higher prices for their products.

According to the World Trade Organisation, GIs are names of places (in some countries also words associated with places) used to identify the origin, quality, reputation or other characteristics of products.

Due to the long absence of GI-related regulations in Bangladesh, we were lagging behind in the display, sale and competition of our traditional products

Hamidul Mishbah, founder of Bangladesh Intellectual Property Forum

An industries ministry press release issued said three more items – date molasses from Jashore, sweet betel leaf from Rajshahi and Nokshikantha from Jamalpur –  have been certified as GI products of Bangladesh. 

With this, the country now has 31 GI products, according to a press release by the Ministry of Industries today (15 February).

Hamidul Mishbah, founder of Bangladesh Intellectual Property Forum, said, "Due to the long absence of GI-related regulations in Bangladesh, we were lagging behind in the display, sale and competition of our traditional products both at home and abroad.

"In 2016, the Jamdani saree became the first product to receive GI certification in the country after the enactment of the Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Act, 2013 and the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2015."

He asked, "How does Bangladesh's Tangail saree get recognition as a GI product of India? The government should take up the matter in the Indian court. It is our geographical product."

The press meet was informed that the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks under the Ministry of Industries grants GI recognition and certification in accordance with the rules of the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Sanowar Hossain, former additional secretary and trustee of Bangladesh Intellectual Property Forum, said that any person, organisation or institution can apply to the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks for registration of GI products with sufficient evidence and information. The inspection agency can apply as well.