RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/76/Add.9
13October 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4376)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS ONANY SYSTEMS FOR THE REGISTRATION
OFGEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH THEY OPERATE
Communication from Hong Kong, China
Addendum
Atitsmeeting of27February 1997, theCouncil forTRIPS agreed toinitiate preliminary work
onissues relevant tothenegotiations specified inArticle 23.4 oftheTRIPS 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 from Hong Kong, China, bya
communication from theHong Kong Economic andTrade Office dated 16September 1997.
_______________
Protection ofGeographical Indications inHong Kong, China
This submission istocontribute totheinformation-gathering exercise asearlier agreed bythe
Council. Thesubmission shall innoway prejudice andshould notbeinterpreted astheposition of
Hong Kong, China onthematter ofprotection ofgeographical indications.
1. General
(i) Thepresent lawontrademarks inHong Kong, China isgoverned bytheTrade Marks
Ordinance(Cap.43)("TMO")asamendedbytheIntellectualProperty(WorldTradeOrganization
Amendments) Ordinance ("WTO Ord"). Atpresent, itispossible toprotect ageographical
indicationbywayofacertificationtrademarkinHongKong.Sections64-72oftheTMOcontain
provisions relating tocertification trademarks. Acertification trademark asregards goods is
registered inPart AoftheTrade Marks Register inHong Kong, China, andisdefined asa
mark which distinguishes inthecourse oftrade goods certified byanyperson inrespect of
origin, material, mode ofmanufacture, quality, accuracy orother characteristic, from goods
notsocertified. Pursuant toSection 23oftheWTO Ord, anamendment wasmade totheTMO
sothatthefactthatamark consists ofsigns orindications which mayserve, intrade, todesignate
thegeographical origin ofgoods shall notbeprecluded from being registered asacertification
trademark inPartAoftheregister inrespect ofthose goods.IP/C/W/76/Add.9
Page2
(ii) Under theTrade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap.362), anyperson who:
(a) inthecourse ofanytrade orbusiness, applies afalse trade description toany
goods; orsupplies oroffers tosupply anygoods towhich afalse trade
description isapplied; or
(b) possesses forsaleorfortrade ormanufacture, anygoods towhich afalse trade
description isapplied,
isliable:
- onconviction onindictment, toafineofHK$500,000 andtoimprisonment
for5years; and
- onsummary conviction, toafineofHK$100,000 andtoimprisonment for
2years.
Itisalsoanoffence toforge atrademark andtofalsely apply toanygoods anytrademark
oranymark sonearly resembling atrademark astobecalculated todeceive.
The TRIPS Agreement
2. Article 22.1 -definition "indications which identify agood asoriginating intheterritory
ofamember, orregion orlocality inthat territory, where agiven quality, reputation or
other characteristic ofthegoods isessentially attributable toitsgeographical origin".
- Section 2(1) oftheTMO defines atrademark as"any signthatisvisually perceptible
andcapable ofbeing represented graphically andmay, inparticular, consist ofwords,
personal names, letters, numerals, figurative elements orcombination ofcolours, and
includes anycombination ofsuch signs".
- This definition isbroad enough toinclude geographical indications.
3. Article 22.2 -Rights conferred byprotection
- Theowner ofacertification trademark inrespect ofgoods hastherights accorded to
itunder Section 67oftheTMO, andmay bring aninfringement action. Section 67
provides thattheowner ofthecertification mark hastheexclusive right tousethe
trademark inrelation tothegoods andthatright isdeemed infringed byanyperson
who, notbeing proprietor ofthetrademark oraperson authorized byhimunder the
regulations inthatbehalf, uses amark identical with itornearly resembling it.
- Theowner ofageographical indication may resort tothelawofpassing offunder the
common lawtoprotect hisgeographical indication (seeparagraph 6below).
- There may beanoffence committed under theTrade Descriptions Ordinance (see
paragraph 1(ii) above).IP/C/W/76/Add.9
Page3
4. Article 22.3-Refusal orinvalidation oftrademarks consisting ofgeographical indications
- Thecertification trademark, which cancurrently beused toageographical indication,
isatrademark under theTMO. Theregistration ofacertification trademark may be
refused ifitisinbreach ofS.12(1) oftheTMO. S.12(1) provides thatitshall notbe
lawful toregister asatrademark orpartofatrademark anymatter theuseofwhich
would belikely todeceive orwould bedisentitled toprotection inthecourt ofjustice
orwould becontrary tolawormorality oranyscandalous design.
- Anattempt toregister acertification trademark would alsofailifitconflicts with other
certification trademarks already registered ontheregister (S.20 oftheTMO). S.20
prohibits theregistration ofamark thatisidentical withornearly resembles atrademark
belonging toadifferent proprietor andalready registered.
- Under S.68 oftheTMO, theentry ofacertification trademark may bevaried or
expunged bytheRegistrar ofTrade Marks orthecourt ifitcanbeshown, inter alia,
thattheproprietor isnolonger competent tocertify thegoods, oritisnolonger tothe
public advantage thatthetrademark should beregistered.
5. Article 22.4 -Protection against misleading thepublic
- S.12 oftheTMO provides thatitisnotlawful toregister amark thatwould belikely
todeceive (seeparagraph 4above). There isalsothepossibility ofaprosecution under
theTrade Descriptions Ordinance (seeparagraph 1(ii) above).
6. Article23.1-Useofgeographicalindicationsofwinesnotoriginatingintheplaceindicated,
even where ...
- Aperson whofeels aggrieved may obtain protection under thecommon lawunder the
lawofpassing off.
- There might beanoffence committed under theTrade Descriptions Ordinance (see
paragraph 1(ii) above).
7. Article 23(2) -Refusal orinvalidating oftrademarks
- Seeparagraph 4above.
8. Article 23(3) -Homonymous GIs
- Atrademark which closely resembles another trademark mayberegistered ifitcomplies
with Section 22oftheTMO. Section 22enables identical ornearly resembling marks
toberegistered inthecase ofhonest concurrent use.