TRIPs협정과 우리 상표법의 지리적 표시 보호제도

This article studies the legal system of Geographical Indications(hereinafter 'GIs') in TRIPs and Korea's Trademark Law. GIs is still new and strange area as an intellectual property in most of the world. There are only 3 articles in TRIPs to protect GIs as a minium standard. First, general protection to any commercial products, second, additional protection especially on wines and spirits, and the last, exceptions on GIs protection and future development of the system. TRIPs hands over details for protection of GIs to every member nation's national legislations. Concept of GIs are defined as an indications in TRIPs §23.1. "GIs are indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a Member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin." They were designed to protect consumers from being misled, producers and traders from being misappropriated. Multilateral registration system of GIs has been debated on the subject between EU and the rest of the world. The core issue is the legal effects of the registration on the participating parties. EU wants a binding effects, while the rest of the world want a non-binding ones. Another issue is the extent of goods to which addirional protection is granted beyond wines and spirits. US's proposal is to minimize the extension of protection, while EU's one is opposition. On this problem, Korea approach carefully. Finally, Korean legal system to protect GIs put through GIs collective marksin the Trademark Act and the Agricultural Products Quality Control Act and etc..