The Sub-Regional Seminar on Geographical Indications and Other Means of Protection of Distinctive Signs based on Origin was held in Astana on December 8, 2016.
The seminar was organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Institute of Intellectual Property.
The aim of the seminars was to discuss practical issues on the protection of geographical indications, its differences from other intellectual property objects, legal and economic substantiations for their protection, as well as sharing of best practices with representatives of WIPO, foreign intellectual property offices, foreign companies and other stakeholders in these areas.
The seminar was opened by welcome speeches of the Director of the National Institute of Intellectual Property Mr. Syrym Bekenov and Acting Head of the Sectionfor Caucasian,CentralAsian and Eastern European Countries of the Department for Transition and Developed Countries of WIPO Mr. Ilya Gribkov.
Representatives from patent offices of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan participated in the sub-regional seminar; also, the seminar was attended by patent attorneys, representatives of interested government bodies, research organizations, universities and representatives of business of Kazakhstan.
Following speakers made presentations to the seminar participants. Lawyer of Design and Geographical Indication Law Section of WIPO Ms. Violeta Ghetu (“Introduction to Geographical Indications: Concept, Terminology and Rationale Behind their Protection”; “International Registration Systems”), Partner of King & Spalding (Switzerland) Mr. Daniel C. Crosby (“The Modes of Protection of Geographical Indications”; “Obtaining Effective Protection in Other Countries: Challenges and Opportunities”), Director of Asiago PDO Cheese Consortium (Italy) Mr. Flavio Innocenzi (“Geographical Indications: Creating Value through Connecting Products with Geographical Origin. Examples”; “Geographical Indications and Other Intellectual Property Tools: Combined Efforts for a Stronger Product Identity”), Attorney-Advisor of Office of Intellectual Property Policy and Enforcement of United States Patent and Trademark Office Ms. Nancy Omelko (“International Registration Systems”), Judge at the District Court Munich I (Germany) Dr. Oliver Schön and Trainee at the District Court Munich I (Germany) Mr. Daniel Kenji Kaneko (“Case study on geographical indications in German jurisprudence – Bavarian beer and Black Forest Ham”), Chief Expert-Adviser of RSE “NIIP” Assemgul Abenova was a national speaker (“Potential of Geographical Indications for Kazakh Products and the National Legal Framework for Geographical Indications”).
At the end of the seminar the participants asked questions on the topics of the seminar, to which speakers gave answers.
