India, being a pioneer in geographical indication protection in the region, must take the lead and be the first one in acceding to the Geneva Act, which offers protection to handicraft GIs as well.
Last month, the World Trademark Review carried a report that the Romanian IP Office (OSIM), after an initial refusal, had accepted a trademark application by Fabryki Mebli Forte SA, a Polish furniture company.
The mark involved is “KASHMIR”, applied for in respect of furniture, which Fabryki Mebil has been using to trade various kinds of furniture in reportedly 45 countries worldwide including Europe.