While the Intellectual Property Office marks 105 years of existence, products with Indications of Geographical Origin have been legally protected at the Office for a somewhat shorter period, since 1981. The food and beverage market is characterized by a growing demand for products whose added value stems from quality and the specific characteristics of the region from which they originate.
Indications of Geographical Origin, as an intellectual property right, are one of the most effective tools for marking and distinguishing products of geographical origin from all other products.
Such indications, displayed on packaging, give exclusivity to a product and direct the buyer to a specific region or place from which the product originates. For example, “Homolje Honey” informs consumers that the honey comes from the Homolje region; “Zlatar Cheese” informs consumers that the cheese originates from the Zlatar area.
These products owe their specific characteristics to the unique microclimatic conditions of the region from which they originate, as well as to the skills of the people who produce them. They therefore represent a harmony of nature and the craftsmanship of the local population, and they are the only intellectual property right owned by local communities. Some of them are also part of Serbia’s intangible cultural heritage (Pirot Kilim, Pirot Kashkaval, Bezdan Damask, Svrljig Belmuz), and some are, in addition, part of the heritage of humanity (Zlakusa pottery).
In relation to Indications of Geographical Origin, two separate legal procedures are conducted at the Office. The first is the procedure for establishing an Indication of Geographical Origin. For example, we established the “Arilje Raspberry” indication (possibly the only raspberry with an Indication of Geographical Origin in Europe). In doing so, we set the standard and defined: what characteristics this raspberry has, in which geographical area and in what manner it is cultivated, what climatic conditions exist in that area, and how it is placed on the market.
The second procedure concerns obtaining the status of an authorized user of an Indication of Geographical Origin. A producer who operates in the given geographical area submits a request to be granted the right to use the registered Indication of Geographical Origin. For this purpose, the producer must prove that their products fully comply with the specifications set out in the product specification document for that indication. Such a request cannot be submitted by just any raspberry producer in Serbia, but only by one who produces in the Arilje region. Furthermore, even that producer from Arilje cannot cultivate the raspberry in any manner, but strictly in accordance with what is prescribed in the specification for “Arilje Raspberry.” Whether this is indeed the case is verified by an authorized, certified body. Only certified producers have the right to use these indications and to prohibit any other person from using them in trade. This constitutes their monopolistic character.
When a consumer purchases a product with a guaranteed geographical origin, they can be certain that the product truly originates from the specified geographical area, and that its quality and all its characteristics have been verified and guaranteed by a certification body even before it reached the market.
Most Serbian products with Indications of Geographical Origin have been legally protected over the past 25 years. This indicates relatively modest experience in their market application. Therefore, you will most often find these products within local communities. In addition, you can experience the richness of their flavors every year at the International Ethno Food and Drink Fair.
