UPSC Articles
Assam’s Rice Wine Judima gets GI tag
Part of: Prelims and GS III – Intellectual Property Rights
Context Judima, the wine brewed by the Dimasa community in Assam, has been awarded the geographical indication (GI) tag.
- This wine is made from rice and a certain herb.
- It is the first beverage from the north-eastern region to earn this label.
- Judima is intrinsic to the social and cultural life of the Dimasas.
- The GI tag for the drink came 14 years after the ginger of the adjoining Karbi Anglong district received its geographical indication.
- A week ago, Manipur saw two of its indigenous products get the GI tag.
- These were the Tamenglong orange and Hathei chilli grown in the hills.
What is GI tag?
- It is an indication which is definite to a geographical territory.
- It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.
- The goods need to be produced or processed or prepared in that region.
- The product must have a special quality or reputation.
- The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 provides registration and also protection of GI goods in India.
- The Geographical Indications Registry for India is located in Chennai.
- A registered GI tag prohibits a third party to use such products.
- GI is a collective intellectual property right and is thus owned by all the producers within the defined GI territory.
- Patents and trademarks are owned by an individual or a business entity.
