RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/Q2/CZE/1/Add.1
12May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1981)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION ONTRADEMARKS, GEOGRAPHICAL
INDICATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS
Czech Republic
Addendum
Thepresent document reproduces questions thattheEuropean Communities andtheirMember
States haveposed totheCzech Republic asafollow-up totheanswers given tosome ofthequestions
initially posed bytheEuropean Communities inthecontext oftheCouncil 'sreview meeting of
11to15November 1996. Forthesakeofconvenience, theinitial questions andanswers, which have
already beendistributed indocument IP/Q2/CZE/1, arereproduced inthepresent document aswell.
_______________
REPLIESOFTHECZECHREPUBLICTOFOLLOW-UPQUESTIONSFROMTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES
Initial question
1. Could theCzech Republic explain howthedefinition ofappellation oforigin included inits
legislation fulfils thecriteria setoutinArticle 22.1 oftheTRIPS Agreement?
According toprovisions of§1oftheCzech LawNo.159/1973 Coll. ofL.,onProtection of
Appellations ofOrigin ofProducts, appellation oforigin ofproducts means ageographical name ofa
country,regionorlocalitywhichhascome tobegenerallyknown todesignateaproduct originatingtherein,
thequality andcharacteristics ofwhich aredueexclusively oressentially tothegeographical environment,
including natural orhuman factors. Thisdefinition complies withcriteria stated inArticle 22.1ofthe
TRIPS Agreement, because itcontains identical conceptual characters. Inbothcases itisanindication
which shallbearthename ofacountry oritsregion orlocality which serves asanindication ofaproduct
originating inthisregion, locality orcountry andwhich ischaracterized byfeatures, quality, reputation
orother characteristics which areessentially attributable tothisgeographical origin. TheCzech definition
specifies inmore detail thisfactwhen itexplicitly refers tohuman andnatural factors.
[Follow-up question]
Initsanswer toquestion 1,theCzech Republic states thatanappellation oforigin ofaproduct
means ageographical name ofacountry, region orlocality which hascome tobegenerally known
todesignate aproduct originating inthatarea, thequality andcharacteristics ofwhich areessentially
attributable toitsgeographical origin. Thisdefinition appears tolimittheprotection toproducts whose
reputation, quality andcharacteristics jointly areessentially attributable totheirgeographical origin.IP/Q2/CZE/1/Add.1
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Could theCzech Republic explain howitslegislation canprotect ageographical indication
within themeaning ofTRIPS Article 22.1where onlyagiven quality, oragiven characteristic ora
reputation isessentially attributable tothegeographical origin oftheproduct?
Thevalidwording ofthedefinition ofanappellation oforigin ofaproduct according toCzech
LawNo.159/1973 Coll.ofL.,concerning theprotection ofappellations oforigin, isfullyinconformity
withthewording ofTRIPS Article 22.1. Inouroriginal reply, theword "and" onthefourth lineshould
becorrectly replaced bytheword "or". According tothisdefinition, onlyfulfilment ofsome
characteristic ofaproduct issufficient. Ifthesubject matter oftheapplication foranappellation of
origin ofaproduct shows more characteristics/characteristics which aredetermined exclusively or
essentially bythegeographical environment, including natural orhuman factors, theOffice shallenter
theappellation oforigin intotheregister without having examined separately thequality. TheOffice
shallenter intotheregister thepresented appellation oforigin ofaproduct whose quality, asoneof
possible characteristics, isdetermined exclusively oressentially bythegeographical environment.
Thequality itself, interms ofthevalid legalregulation, isonlyoneofpossible, i.e.notsuperior or
obligatory, characteristics ofproducts.
Initial question
2. Could theGovernment oftheCzech Republic clarify whether itslegislation foresees additional
protection forgeographical indications forwines andspirits (Article 23oftheTRIPS Agreement)? If
yes,please explain.
Present legislation oftheCzech Republic enables toensure additional protection forgeographical
indications forwines andspirits according toArticle 23oftheTRIPS Agreement. Thebasis forsuch
protection isprovided bytheLaw onProtection ofAppellations ofOrigin ofProducts (theLaw
No.159/1973 Coll. ofL.)andanewCzech Trademark Law(theLaw No.137/1995 Coll. ofL.).
According totheLawonProtection ofAppellations ofOrigin ofProducts thisprotection isprovided
intheform ofregistration ofappellation oforigin intotheregister oftheIndustrial Property Office.
Nobody isallowed tomisuse theregistered appellation oforigin, inparticular toappropriate itortoimitate
it,evenifthetrueorigin ofaproduct isindicated orevenifappellation isusedintranslated orinaltered
form, ifdespite thedifference there isariskofconfusion, oreven ifitisaccompanied byexpressions
suchas"kind", "type", "imitation", etc.Theregistered appellation oforigin maynotbeused asthe
generic name ofaproduct (§4). Only theregistered holder oftherights touseanappellation oforigin
mayusetheregistered appellation oforigin. Theregistered holder ofrights touseanappellation oforigin
candemand from arespective court body thatbreach ofhisrights should beprohibited andthatdefective
status should beremoved. Thevalid Czech Trademark Lawexcludes from registration asignwhich
consists exclusively ofindications ofgeographical origin ofproducts. Inaddition, indications which may
confuse thepublic about geographical origin ofproducts orservices areexcluded from theregistration.
Thelawfurther enables toexclude from registration allindications whose utilization would becontrary
tothecommitments arising fortheCzech Republic frominternational agreements. According toprovision
of§3,paragraph 1oftheCzech law,theOffice shallnotregister theindication identical withatrademark
which isapplied orregistered foranother owner foridentical orsimilar goods orservices withprevious
rightofpriority, event. which contains elements ofapplied indication orregistered trademark which could
leadtoconfusion. TheOffice shall cancel thetrademark from theperson 'sproposal orexofficio that
thetrademar kwasregisteredinconflictwiththislaw.TheCzech Republ icprovideslegalmeans preventing
theuseofthegeographical indication identifying wines orspirits forwines andspirits which donotcome
fromthelocality stated inarespective geographical indication aswellasthrough protection against unfair
competition, byspecial factual basis ofdeceptive labelling ofgoods (§46oftheLawNo.513/1991 Coll.
ofL.).
[Follow-up questions]
Initsanswertoquestion2,theCzechRepublicstatedthatgeographicalindicationsareprotected
under itslegislation evenifthetrueorigin oftheproduct isindicated orifthegeographical indication
isusedintranslation, "if,despite thedifference, there isariskofconfusion". However, TRIPS
Article 23.1requires WTO Members toprotect geographical indications forwines andspirits againstIP/Q2/CZE/1/Add.1
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suchmisuses without taking intoaccount theriskofconfusion. Howdoesthelegislation oftheCzech
Republic provide forsuchprotection?
Could theCzech Republic elaborate more onArticle 3,paragraph 1oftheCzech Law, that
istheconditions forregistration ofageographical indication which contains elements ofapreviously
applied orregistered trademark, inparticular inthelightofArticle 24.5oftheTRIPS Agreement?
Could theCzech Republic explain inmoredetail howitslegislation provides forthelegalmeans
toprevent theuseofageographical indication forawineoraspirit notoriginating intheplace
indicated? Please provide references toalloftherelevant legislation inthisrespect.
According tothementioned provision of§4ofLawNo.159/1973 CollofL.,concerning the
protection ofappellations oforigin, nooneshallhavetherighttomisuse aregistered appellation of
origin, inparticular tomisappropriate itortoimitate it,evenwhere thetrueorigin oftheproduct is
indicated orwhere theappellation isusedinatranslation orisaccompanied byterms suchas"kind",
"type", "make", "imitation" orthelike,regardless ofariskofconfusion. Thisregulation follows
asimilar provision oftheLisbon Agreement andcorresponds alsotoArticle 23.1oftheTRIPS
Agreement. Inaddition, according totheprovision of§4ofthementioned law,nooneshallhave
therighttomisuse aregistered appellation, inparticular tomisappropriate itortoimitate it,evenwhere
theappellation isusedinadifferent form, if,despite thisdifference, there isariskofconfusion. The
sense ofthisprovision wastogetamore strict protection withtheaimtoprevent efforts ofusing a
registered appellation oforigin oftheidentical wording inadifferent, e.g.graphical, form (using
different letters orpictorial elements). Asfollows fromtheusedandestablished practice, according
towhich theappellation oforigin isprotected asaword indication, thisprovision hasnever hadto
beapplied.
TheCzech legalrulesalsoenable torefuse registration oftrademarks forwines orspirits which
contain orconsist ofgeographical indications identifying wines orspirits attherequest ofaparty
concerned inrelation tothose wines andspirits which arenotofthisorigin, iftheyaresubject toa
previous rightofthisindustrial property. Nevertheless, weconsistently feelthatthestandard setby
TRIPS Article 23together withArticle 24.5requires adeeper development inthepositive lawofthe
Czech Republic within theinitiative oftheIndustrial Property Office towards theexecutive.
IntheCzech Republic there arecivillawmeans aswellascriminal lawmeans ofprotection
against theuseofgeographical indications forwines andspirits notoriginating intheplace indicated
asageographical indication. Civil lawmeans ofprotection areregulated inLawNo.159/1973 Coll.
ofL.,concerning theprotection ofappellations oforigin ofproducts, §5,LawNo.137/1995 Coll.
ofL.,ontrademarks, §15,Commercial Code No.513/1991 Coll. ofL.1(compare theprovisions on
unfair competition, §§44-55); LawNo.63/1991 Coll.ofL.2,ontheprotection ofeconomic competition
(compare §53); Civil Procedure LawNo.62/1996 Coll. ofL.3.Criminal lawmeans ofprotection
areregulated inCriminal LawNo.140/1961 Coll. ofL.4(compare theprovisions ofArticles 149,
1ThisLawiscontained inthelistof"other lawsandregulations" indocument IP/N/1/CZE/1 (seep.4)
2ThisLawiscontained inthelistof"other lawsandregulations" indocument IP/N/1/CZE/1 (seep.5)
3TheCivil Procedure Lawhasbeennotified bytheCzech Republic inits1963 version, aslastly amended in1995 (see
thelistof"other lawsandregulations" indocument IP/N/1/CZE/1 (p.5)). TheCzech Republic hasinformed theSecretariat
thatLaw62/1996 willbenotified shortly, butthattheprovisions oftheCivil Procedure Lawrelevant tothesubject matter
ofthepresent review arecontained intheversion oftheLawthathasalready been notified.
4Thislawiscontained inthelistof"other lawsandregulations" indocument IP/N/1/CZE/1 (seep.6).IP/Q2/CZE/1/Add.1
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150,151). Courts mayorder preliminary measures, decide ontheinjunction oftherights violation,
removal ofconsequences fromtherights violation, onobtaining damages foradamage caused, aswell
asadequate compensation which mayconsist alsoofmonetary indemnity. They maypronounce the
goods relating toviolation ofindustrial property rights which werethesubject ofviolation ofcustoms
regulations asforfeited orseized andtobedestructed inaccordance withregulations oftheMinistry
ofFinance. Incriminal proceedings, intentional violation ofindustrial property rights canbepunished,
beside imprisonment andfinancial penalty, alsobythesentence offorfeiture ofgoods.