The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999

The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 is an Indian law that was enacted to provide for the registration and protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India. The Act defines 'geographical indication' as any indication which identifies goods as originating from a particular territory in India, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the goods is essentially attributable to their geographical origin. The Act also establishes a Geographical Indications Registry to administer the Act and maintain a register of geographical indications, and provides for the cancellation of registration of a geographical indication under certain circumstances. The Act also provides for the punishment of offenses related to false or misleading representation of a geographical indication, and provides for the protection of authorized users of registered geographical indications.