“Yichang Gastrodia Elata”, “White Sandbar Chinese Pear”, “Zhijiang Cotton”, “Yuan’an Mushroom”… All these are well-known products, which are the heritage of the abundant culture in Yichang, the representative of Yichang specialty and they also carry deep nostalgia of the countless Yichang citizen. They, with a common designation-geographical indications trademark, are “local specialties” in Yichang, promoting the upgrade and development of the related industries as an important intellectual property right.
Yichang Geographical Indications Reaching 30, Raking First in Hubei
“Geographical indications” indicates that where the goods derives from, the specific quality, reputation or other characteristics of the goods. The indications, which are mainly determined by the natural or human factors, are registered as a collective mark or certification mark according to Trademark Act.
Approved by State Administration for Industry and Commerce Trademark Office for registration, “Zigui Navel Orange” became the first geographical indications trademark in Yichang and the first fruit geography indications in Hubei province on March 28, 2006. After years of efforts, there were 30 geographical indications trademark in Yichang by the end of 2015, exceeding Wuhan which has registered 29 geographical indications trademark. Yichang ranked in a leading position in the whole province, city and state.
In recent years, with the acceleration of the world economical integration, the customer’s increasing emphasis on health and safety, the national geographic indications protection products, green and natural, excellent quality, are popular with the world. The product and brand value rapidly increased, greatly promoting the added product value. Cultivating and developing geographic indications benefit to form the regional leading brands and industrial cluster, protecting the local human resources and natural resources, improving the featured products’ quality and safety level and the competitiveness of the agricultural products in the domestic and foreign market, actively promoting the development of the local economy.
Personalizing Tracking Service, Cultivating Landmark Product
Ziqiu papaya, growing in Langping town, Tujia Autonomous county of Changyang, is a kind of Chinese traditional rare herbs. Having a very long planting history, papaya’s medicine and health benefits are recorded in medical information, such as《Chinese pharmacopoeia》. Ziqiu Papaya Association wanted to register geographic indications for protection, but the “Ziqiu” was the common product brand which registered by Changyang Pharmaceutical Company. After coordinating by business sector several times, pharmaceutical company transferred the “Ziqiu” brand to Ziqiu Papaya Association. “Ziqiu Papaya” successfully registered as geographic indications in November 2010.
This is an epitome, which formed for the business sector vigorously cultivating the geographic indications and promoting the sustainable development of the geographic indications. Industry and commerce departments at all levels fully collected the information, including the local characteristic resources, the famous history and culture products, established geographic indications incubation library, improving the liaison man system, conducting classification and tracking guidance, developing individualized assistance measures, constantly enhancing the pertinence and effectiveness of the geographic indications development work.
Qin Zaojun, the chief of the Trademark Advertising Supervision and Management Department, City Administration of Industry and Commerce, introduced that, for the 15 products, including “Wudu River Kiwi fruit”, “Changyang Golden gardenia”, which have declared to geographic indications for register, business sector timely grasped progress, ready to dealing with the situations, including rejection, objection and controversy, striving for successfully registered as soon as possible in 2015; For the products, which are outstanding quality and characteristics and have mature declaration condition, including “Zhijiang peach”, “Xingshan purple garlic”, business sector should put forward the Administration Recommendations to the government, readjusting the application subjects, completing the declaration conditions.
Regarding the “ four books and five entering” (trademark registration recommendations, application instructions, tips for management, protection warning letter, entering into the window, the business, the mall, the park and the countryside ) activity as a platform and carrier to development the geographic indications, the business sector, for the registered geographic indications, is focused on guiding the Geographic Indications Association to strengthen application and management, setting geographic indications brand demonstration towns and bases to achieve the goal of “cultivating a landmark, driving an industry, enriching a part of citizen”.
Brand Development Enriching Some Citizens
Wufeng green tea successfully applied for geographic indications brand in 2012, just three years, the local farmers’ income increasing from about 2000 yuan per mu to more than 3000 yuan per mu. Zhang Wanhong, Tea Professional Association in Wufeng County, introduced that the farmers’ profit increase year after year, realizing an increase of about 5 percent. He said that the expansion of brand effect is particularly outstanding, except of the material benefit. Having uniform production standard, farmers unified explored the market, through the using of the geographic indications, better adapting to the current circumstances, fully using the brand advantages of the geographic indications and expanding sales channels.
Municipal business sector guides the geographic indications trademark products and other agricultural products brand entering the logistics park, strengthening the cooperation with the logistics enterprises. At the same time, for the products which enter the logistics park, business sector will focus on examining the matters, including standard specification, the product source and counterfeit goods, practically putting the quality of the geographic indications into the real works. (Journalist: Yang Chunyan, Correspondent: Zhou Geng, Intern Huang Han)