Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of the Ministry of Commerce of Thai Government agreed on March 22 to promote cooperation for mutual protection of Geographical Indication (GI) for farm products of the two countries.
The agreement made by the two governments aims at excluding copies and imitation products, damaging interests of brand-name products, from agricultural markets in Japan and Thailand for protecting GI.
It is the first time for MAFF to be cooperative with a foreign government in order to mutually protect GI for agricultural products.
Last December, Japanese Act on Protection of the Names of Specific Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs or Geographical Indication (GI) Act was revised, which has made it possible for the Japanese government to protect GI of agricultural and other primary industry products mutually with governments of other countries through an intergovernmental agreement.
Under the GI Act, Japanese producers of GI commodities do not need to request directly to governments of foreign countries for protecting their GI.
The agreement of the two governments aiming at mutually protecting GI in both countries is regarded as their pilot project for further developing the mutual GI protection system.
Twenty eight products such as “Yubari Melon” and “Kobe Beef” have been registered with Japan’s MAFF under the GI Act, while Thai’s DIP protects GIs of seventy five products including pine apple and coffee brands.
Copy products of “Yubari Melon” have been already on the markets in Thailand.
MAFF expects the GI mutual protection system to be effectively implemented so that copies and imitation products can be removed from the Thai market.