Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration

The aim of the Lisbon Agreement is to provide for the protection of appellations of origin, i.e., the “geographical denomination of a country, region, or locality, which serves to designate a product originating therein, the quality or characteristics of which are due exclusively or essentially to the geographical environment, including natural and human factors” (Article 2). The Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement allows the international registration of geographical indications (GIs), in addition to appellations of origin, and permits the accession to the Lisbon Agreement by certain intergovernmental organizations.