Geographic Indications and Denominations of Origin are industrial property rights that allow a specific product to be identified as created, produced, transformed and elaborated in a specific territory in a country, region or town. This only happens in the cases in which the product’s quality, its reputation or other characteristics are due to the geography, and always taking into account the legal requirements. These products are considered to deserve this denomination to mark the difference with the rest, which might be similar but do not have such characteristics and, therefore, could beneficiate from the others’ reputation and dilute their trademarks. The consumer, by buying such a product has the certainty of its quality.
In the case of Denomination of Origin, they must also have natural and human factors that affect the product’s characteristics, whereas a geographic indication consists solely on the place’s name. It makes reference to the place or region in which the product was extracted from, elaborated or cultivated in and that may determine its qualities.
Even though both concepts are pretty similar, the Geographic Indications are included in the Denominations of Origin.
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