Source: China IP News

On October 16, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released an official seal for geographical indications (GIs). According to relevant regulations including the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China and the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China, CNIPA is competent for registering GIs and rendering official protection. The outgoing seal is still valid before the new one is used officially and its transitional period will last until December 31, 2020.

A principal of CNIPA's IP Protection Department introduced that the official seal for GIs is designed to reflect authority, representation, versatile to suit and easy to identify. The seal is an official one featuring solemnity and authority and designed with the silhouette of the Great Wall and mountains as its foreground and the ears of rice symbolizing a good harvest, which are the most representative geographical, cultural and historical signs and convey the excellent quality and reliability of Chinese GIs. The transparent and hollowed design makes it more harmonious when the mark is used on various products and packages by companies. The base is designed in the shape of the Earth with drawing longitude lines and latitude lines and written with both the Chinese and English words "GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION OF P.R.CHINA" and "GI", the abbreviation of "Geographical Indication", ensuring directness and readability for consumers with different language and cultural backgrounds and reflecting GI's nature as a universally-accepted IP and the vision of enlisting its help to propel  Chinese products to oversea markets. 

The same principal said that the release of the seal represents a solid step CNIPA has taken in unifying operations relating to GI certification. Regulations governing the use of the seal will be formulated separately by CNIPA. In implementation of the relevant requirements of institutional restructuring, the Administration will facilitate relevant work of unifying GI certification systems, making efforts to achieve a unified GI receiving channel, examination standard, publication of gazettes, special seal, protection and supervision.