WORLD TRADE IP/N/1/CHE/1/Add.1
18February 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-0578)
Original: English/French Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
UNDER ARTICLE 63.2OFTHE AGREEMENT
SWITZERLAND
Addendum
BymeansofacommunicationfromitsPermanentMission,dated12November1997,Switzerland
hassubmitted thefollowing notification oflawsandregulations under Article 63.2oftheAgreement.
Inaccordance withArticle 63.2oftheTRIPS Agreement andtheprocedures laiddown by
theCouncil forTRIPS, Switzerland hereby notifies lawsandregulations adopted orrevised since its
notification of31January 1996, published indocument IP/N/1/CHE/1 dated 5March 1996.
Thisnotification isthefirstofaseries ofupdating notifications, andconcerns ListA(Principal
lawsandregulations, concerning intellectual property), pages 7and8(geographical indications), of
document IP/N/1/CHE/1.IP/N/1/CHE/1/Add.1
Page2
Title, dates ofadoption andentry intoeffect Brief description
Geographical indications
[...]
Federal LawontheImprovement of
Agriculture andthePreservation ofFarming
Populations; adopted on3October 1951; the
respective articles entered intoeffect between
1January 1954 and1December 1962 (Law
onAgriculture: RS910.1, RO1953 1095)
Recent amendments:
Articles 18a,18c,23b(5) firstsentence (only
relevant fortheItalian version oftheLaw),
112(1), 112b; adopted on21June1996,
entered intoeffect on1July1997 (RS910.1;
RO1997 1187)1
Ordinance ontheProtection ofAppellations
ofOrigin andGeographical Indications in
Respect ofAgricultural Products and
Processed Agricultural Products; adopted on
28May1997, entered intoeffect on
1July1997 (RS910.12; RO1997 1198)2Article 18a: Authority oftheSwiss Federal
Council topromulgate regulations concerning
thedenomination ofproducts.
Article 18c: Register ofappellations of
origin (AOC) andofgeographical
designations (IGP); prohibition oftheiruse
asgeneric names, relations totrademarks,
specifications, unlawful acts.
Article 112b: Sanctions forunlawful useof
appellations oforigin andgeographical
indications.
Definitions ofAOC andIGP; generic names;
registration procedure (persons having
standing forregistration, content ofthe
application, specification, decision,
opposition, registration andpublication, etc.);
control, etc.
1Thetextoftheamending lawof21June 1996 canbefound indocument IP/N/1/CHE/G/2/Add.1.
2Thetextofthislawcanbefound indocument IP/N/1/CHE/G/3.IP/N/1/CHE/1/Add.1
Page3
Title, dates ofadoption andentry intoeffect Brief description
Federal Decree onWine Cultivation; adopted
on19June1992, entered intoeffect on
1January 1993 (RS916.140.1;
RO1992 1986).
Recent amendments:
Articles 23a,23b,23c,23d,32(1)(d);
adopted on21June1996, entered intoeffect
on1July1997 (RO1997 1216)3
[...]TheDecree deals, mainly, withproduction
areas, methods ofproduction, vinification
process, etc.
Articles 16and17contain, respectively,
definitions of"indications deprovenance"
and"appellations d'origine". TheCantons
mayprovide for"appellations d'origine
contrôlées" (AOCs).
Article 19provides forthecreation ofa
Federal Commission ofAOCs.
Theamendments donotdealwiththe
protection ofgeographical indications. They
dealwiththecontrol oftrade inwine.
__________
3ThetextofthisDecree andtheamending lawof21June1996 canbefound indocument IP/N/1/CHE/G/4.