India & Pakistan is once again in conflict with the territory of the Sozani embriodery. Above Rs 400 crores of ventures are at risk. Pakistan had gone in opposition with the Jammu & Kashmir artisans' and proposed applications for Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2006. While latter giving its consent Pakistan said that a part of it is under Pak Occupied Kashmir (POK) which is presently under the rule of Islamabad.

An Organization has been raised under WTO i.e. the GI Registry of India which has disapproved the demand of Pakistan who had registered to claim for the sub-continent last December. It is being legalized by the Global impact that if somebody is raising its head against opposition to GI then it is not regarded further as a GI applicant. Therefore it has been decided that the place has an enormous value in the international markets and hence forth it will be marked and named as an individual place called Sozani.

Geographical Indication (GI) is an identification or symbol which is used for few exclusive items which implies to locate the originality and perfect source of any Geographical Location. The GI is generally a certificate given to a place which gets benefit from its natural resources as well as equipped with few qualities and therefore boost up its market qualities.

GI Registrations in India granted for 2008-2009 was about 106- the calculations of registrations are much more than the earlier years and also from the time of origination of Geographic Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act on September 2003. There is unexpected increase of applications at the Geographic Indication office at Guindy in Chennai from ample artisans, farmers and other people who wished to brand up their products with the Geographical Indications (GI) mark.

Mr. GK Muthukumar, senior associate at law firm of Anand & Anand has provided a fact that-“GI Certification differentiates the real item from the false as well as it also provides a tag to the product along with the area where it is prepared and originated.”

The awareness for GI marks is increasing rapidly, the number of products registered in 2007 stands upto 40 whereas it get twice in 2008.But in 2009 the state wise estimation is not yet prepare. The geographic brand value has increased immensely in 2008 and can be viewed from the following :
+ Karnataka is leading with 22 registrations on the top.
+ Tamil Nadu with 14.
+ Kerala with 8
+ Andhra Pradesh with 6.
Under the Tamil Nadu section the GI registration has been given to Thanjavur paintings, Coimbatore wet grinder and Kancheepuram silk.

By seeing the upsurge for the GI registration the Controller-General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks PH Kurian told The Times of India-“The interest have risen in great measure in the southern states for the registration and therefore it is becoming much more effective in the whole country.” A huge number of applications are coming from the different states like Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, TN, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and a few North-Eastern states.

The GI registration has reached such an height that an unbelievable occurrence took place i.e. the hawkers of Andhra Pradesh is now want to register their Laddoos from the fake ladoo makers of the market and henceforth Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD) has taken a measure to try in for GI protection the laddoos which will be strictly prepared by the priests called ‘Archakas’ at the special kitchen temple known as ‘Potu’.

The GI registration process has been conducted throughout the country as well as in international design festival at Pune in this year. Muthukumar added –“The endorsement of GI has been seeking a great position in the minds of the commoners to raise their market ability.”

The GI registration in India has been divided into categories like the primary and then the secondary comes in its way. Like the handicrafts and textiles are ruling above then the agro based items like Pokkali rice, Naga Mircha chilli, Alleppey green cardamom, Coorg orange, along with Ethomozhy tall coconut tree comes in the way next. Generally the farmers and the manufacturers are will privilege to get lots of benefit under this law by earning premium price for the products.

Source: http://iitrade.ac.in