Hungary Joins Geneva Act of WIPO’s Lisbon Agreement
June 10, 2021
Hungary deposited on June 10, 2021 its instrument of ratification to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications ("Geneva Act").
The instrument of ratification was deposited with WIPO Director General Daren Tang by Dr. Ferenc Dancs, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary.
Hungary, which is party to the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration since June 1966, was among the most active delegations in the process of revision of the Lisbon Agreement that ultimately led to the adoption of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, in May 2015. To date, Hungary has registered 28 appellations of origin under the Lisbon international registration system.
This ratification will allow Hungary to protect both its appellations of origin and geographical indications under the Geneva Act, in particular those in the non-agricultural product category such as Herend (porcelain), Budafok (enamelware) or Halas, Kiskunhalas (hand-made lace), to name only a few, but also its most emblematic appellations of origin in the wine sector such as Tokaj which originates in the first demarcated wine region of the world, the Tokaj wine region.
The Geneva Act, which entered into force on February 26, 2020, provides producers of quality products linked to origin, with faster and cheaper access to the international protection of their products' distinctive designations. It further develops the legal framework of the Lisbon System, which helps promote many globally marketed products such as, for example, Bananas of Costa Rica, Champagne, Tuscan Oil, or Bohemia Crystal.
By joining the Geneva Act, Hungary becomes party to both the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act. This is part of a larger trend at WIPO where WIPO registration systems are gradually transitioning to single-treaty systems. When all Lisbon Agreement countries have also joined the Geneva Act, farmers and artisans whose appellations of origin and geographical indications are protected under the Lisbon System will all benefit from the Geneva Act’s unique features and flexibilities.
About the Geneva Act
The Geneva Act, which covers 33 countries, is designed to help ensure that producers of quality products linked to origin are able to protect the distinctive designations of their products in multiple jurisdictions, either as appellations of origin or geographical indications, through a single application with WIPO and the payment of one set of fees.
About the Lisbon System
The Geneva Act, concluded in 2015, and the Lisbon Agreement, concluded in 1958, constitute together the “Lisbon System” for the international registration and protection of appellations of origin and geographical indications. The Lisbon System, which covers 54 countries, provides protection for names that identify the geographic origin of products such as coffee, tea, fruits, cheese, wine, pottery, glass and cloth.
Examples of appellations of origin and geographical indications include Kampot Pepper (Cambodia), Comté (France), Tokaj (Hungary), Sarough Handmade Carpet (Iran), Tequila (Mexico), Porto (Portugal), Chulucanas (Peru) and Huile Téboursouk (Tunisia).