In Serbia, in 2019, an exploration was conducted about the indications of geographical origin, and the results showed in what manner the people in Serbia experience products with the indication of geographical origin, how important GIs are for the choice of food and how much are the consumers ready to pay for these products.
The indications of geographical origin are protected in the Intellectual Property Office. As the title speaks for itself, they inform the consumer which geographical area the marked product originates from, like the Sausage from Srem or the Cheese from Mountain Zlatar, as two examples of such GIs, that have lately become famous. When the consumer buys the product with the guaranteed geographical origin, he may be certain with regard to several things: that such a product really originates from the given geographical area; that it possesses quality – both constant and guaranteed; that all of its characteristics, even before it appeared on the market, are controlled and guaranteed by the certification body.
In addition to representing intellectual property rights, indications of geographical origin are also part of our national folklore and our history. Our traditional knowledge and the skills of our ancestors are woven into them.
Why is it important to understand what the products protected by the geographical indication of origin represent? Find out more about that in the original article written by Mr. Vladimir Marić, Director of the Intellectual Property Office, on the following link.