Protection of Chinese geographical indications in EU et vice versa
The European Union and China have recently negotiated a bilateral agreement that will ensure the protection of 100 Chinese geographical indications in the EU and 100 European GIs in China. This agreement is of major importance in light of the fact that China is the second largest exporter of EU agricultural products market with GIs.
Amongst notorious GIs such as Champagne, Feta cheese and Prosciutto di Parma, wines from the Vipava valley (“Vipavska dolina”) can also be found on the list of European appellations. Although Slovenia has many other indications worth of international protection, such as Carniolian sausage (“kranjska klobasa”) and Bovec cheese (“bovški sir”), the named wines have, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, the greatest export potential. Other Slovenian product could find its way on the list expanding the protection in China to additional 175 products. This list is said to be negotiated 4 years after the entry into force of the agreement.
Geographical indications (GIs) are appellations that communicate the origin of the goods to participants on the market. Because of the quality that is associated with the origin, the consumers are willing to pay more for such products. Similarly to trademarks, geographical indications are industrial property rights designed to protect consumers from being deceived as well as producers from free-riding.
The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization that maintains the Open Library, a digital library index, and is dedicated to preserving knowledge. As many of the works in the Internet Archive are under copyright, the Archive uses a system of controlled digital lending based on digital rights management to prevent unauthorized downloading or copying of copyrighted books. In March 2020, due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet Archive established the National Emergency Library, eliminating the waiting lists used in the Open Library and expanding access to books for all readers. In June 2020, the Emergency National Library faced a lawsuit from four book publishers and was ultimately closed.
The 43rd session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (hereinafter SCCR) made substantial progress on the issues advocated by the A2K Coalition (Access to Knowledge Coalition), which IPI is a member of. This year’s session was the most productive on the issues of exceptions and limitations. James Love (Knowledge Ecology International), a long-time observer at WIPO, described the outcome and the impact of the public interest community as the strongest since the conclusion of the Marrakech Treaty, which brought global copyright exceptions for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired.
Today, March 17, 2023, a symposium on law in the information society is taking place in the golden lecture hall of the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana. Dr. Maja Bogataj Jančič will present copyright aspects of artificial intelligence at the symposium.
The third day of the 43rd session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights is intended for discussion on the topic of exceptions and limitations to copyright, especially in connection with the right to research.