Lisbon Agreement Text

The Lisbon Agreement Text: What You Need to Know

The Lisbon Agreement is an international treaty that provides protections for geographical indications (GI) and appellations of origin (AO). These are labels that identify the geographic origin of a product and are used to protect the reputation of the product, as well as the economic interests of the producers.

The agreement was initially signed in 1958 in Lisbon, Portugal, and has since been revised multiple times. The latest version of the agreement was adopted in 2015 and entered into force on March 31, 2020.

What Does the Lisbon Agreement Cover?

The Lisbon Agreement covers two types of geographical indications: GIs and AOs. Here is how these two types of labels are defined:

– Geographical Indications (GIs): A GI is a label that identifies a product as originating from a specific geographic region or area and having a specific quality, reputation, or other characteristic that is attributable to that geographical origin. Examples of GIs include “Champagne” for sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France, “Roquefort” for cheese produced in the Roquefort region of France, and “Darjeeling” for tea produced in the Darjeeling region of India.

– Appellations of Origin (AOs): An AO is a label that identifies a product as originating from a specific geographic region or area and having a specific quality, reputation, or other characteristic that is attributable to that geographical origin, and which is produced using traditional methods. Examples of AOs include “Parma Ham” for ham produced in the Parma region of Italy and “Tequila” for a distilled spirit produced in specific regions of Mexico.

Why is the Lisbon Agreement Important?

The Lisbon Agreement is important because it provides protection for GIs and AOs by establishing a registration system for these labels. Once a product has been registered as a GI or AO, only producers from the designated region are allowed to use the label for their products. This helps to prevent other producers from using the label to market products that are not actually from the designated region, which could harm the reputation of the original product and its producers.

The registration system also provides legal protection for GIs and AOs in countries that are parties to the Lisbon Agreement. This means that producers from the designated region can take legal action against other producers who use their label without permission, which can help to protect their economic interests.

How Do Countries Join the Lisbon Agreement?

Countries can become parties to the Lisbon Agreement by signing and ratifying the treaty. There are currently 31 parties to the agreement, including the European Union and its member states, as well as several other countries such as Chile, Japan, and Switzerland.

Conclusion

The Lisbon Agreement is an important international treaty that provides legal protection for geographical indications (GIs) and appellations of origin (AOs). The registration system established by the treaty helps to protect the reputation of these labels and the economic interests of their producers. Countries can become parties to the agreement by signing and ratifying the treaty, and there are currently 31 parties to the agreement.