RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/76/Add.1
5August 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3318)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS ONANY SYSTEMS FOR THE REGISTRATION
OFGEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH THEY OPERATE
Communication from Poland
Addendum
Atitsmeeting of27February 1997, theCouncil forTRIPS agreed toinitiate preliminary work
onissues relevant tothenegotiations specified inArticle 23.4oftheTRIPS Agreement through an
information-gathering activity. Inthisconnection, theCouncil invited Members tosubmit information
onanysystems fortheregistration ofgeographical indications which theyoperate. Reference ismade
toparagraph 73ofdocument IP/C/M/12.
Thepresent document reproduces theinformation received fromPoland byacommunication
from itsPermanent Mission, dated 30July1997.
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WithreferencetotheinvitationfromtheCouncilforTRIPStosubmitinformationonanysystems
forthenotification andregistration ofgeographical indications which WTO Members operate, wewish
toinform youofthefollowing.
Atpresent, theprotection ofgeographical indications practically doesnotexistinPoland due
tothelackoflegal regulations inthePolish LawonTrademarks andverypoorregulation ofthis
subject-matter intheLawonCombating Unfair Competition. There areonlythree bilateral pre-war
agreements, namely withFrance, Hungary andCzechoslovakia, ontheprohibition ofuseofthe
appellations oforigin listed inthose agreements inrespect ofwines.
Thissituation isgoing tobechanged soonwiththeadoption ofanewIndustrial Property Law
which takesaccount oftheTRIPS requirements concerning theprotection ofgeographical indications.
Under thenewLaw, geographical indications (indications ofsource andappellations oforigin) will
beliable toprotection bymeans ofregistration. Anynatural person meeting theconditions provided
fortheuseofagiven indication willbeallowed tofileanapplication. Applications mayalsobefiled
byorganizations authorized torepresent producers operating onagiven territory aswellasby
governmental agencies orlocalauthorities, ifagiven geographical indication isintended tobeused
ontheirterritory.
ThePatent Office willregister geographical indications after examination astoformal
requirements andwithout anysubstantive examination. Theprotection willbeunlimited intimeand
willstarttorunasfrom theentry ofanindication inaregister keptbythePatent Office.
There isnospecial notification system provided forinthenewLaw.