地理标志产品保护——促进经济发展的重要手段

Protection of geographical indication,a means to promote economy development

中华民族历史悠久，幅员辽阔，地大物博，许多典型的具有地理标志特征的产品在纷繁复杂的国内外市场环境中，急需要得到国家的有效保护。为了更好的保护和发展传统产品，大力推进地理标志产品保护制度要具有重大的现实意义和深远的历史意义。近日，记者就如何申报地理标志保护等相关问题采访了国家质量监督检验检疫总局科技司地理标志管理处处长裴晓颖。

A geographical in- dication is a sign used on goods that have a specific geo- graphical origin and possess quali- ties or a reputation that are due to that place of origin. Geographical indications are understood by consumers to denote the origin and the quality of products.Many of them have acquired valuable reputations which,if not adequately protected,may be misrepresented by dishonest commercial operators.False use of geographical indications by unautho- rized parties is detrimental to consumers and legitimate producers.The former are deceived and led into believing to buy a genuine product with specific qualities and characteristics,while they in fact get a worthless imitation. The latter suffer damage because valuable business is taken away from them and the established reputation for their products is damaged. Recently,authority from General Administration of Qual- ity Supervision,Inspection and Quarantine of China gave an interview and introduced some typical cases of geographical indication protection applied in food industry. Since protected by geographical indication in 2000, Shaoxing wine has been benefited greatly in aspects of product credibility,invisible capital,market promotion and export. Shaoxing wine is very popular in Japan.But the Japanese market was not dominated by genuine product until geographi- cal indication is applied.Nowadays,the market share of genu- ine Shaoxing wine in Japan has gone up from 20% to 94.2%. Meanwhile,Shaoxing wine are also introduced to more than 30 countries in North Asia,Europe and America. Likewise,Wu Yi Tea,Longkou Vermicelli,Yantai Apple, etc.also successfully protect their brands from unfair competi- tion with the help of geographical indication.