The Protections Afforded by Geographical Indicators and Their Characteristics: The Case of the Gis in Brazilian Agribusiness

Abstract

Geographical Indication (GI) is a way of differentiating a product in the market by highlighting its added value and guaranteed origin. The objective in this paper was to analyze the Brazilian agribusiness GIs in order to identify the extent of the protection in this form of certification. A bibliographic survey was carried out in the public domain as well as a documentary search in the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) database. The database of the registries of GIs, comparing the characteristics of the GIs as: Associations and Cooperatives, in natura and modified, direct and manufactured production, animal and vegetable product, and product or service. The data of GIs was collected and grouped. Soon after, a search was conducted on the official sites of the cooperatives and associations in order to gather information about the production and other details. Direct production is very labor intensive and can not be produced in large quantities. The associations and cooperatives that have the IG seal adopt a manufactured production and hope thus have a greater financial return. All of the Brazilian agribusiness GIs are designated for products. This study serves as a basis for future research on GIs that wish to know the characteristics of Brazilian GIs in order to interact on the subject.