RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/76/Add.2
3September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3543)
Original: Spanish Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS ONANY SYSTEMS FOR THE REGISTRATION
OFGEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WHICH THEY OPERATE
Communication from Mexico
Addendum
Atitsmeeting of27February 1997, theCouncil forTRIPS agreed toinitiate preliminary work
onissues relevant tothenegotiations specified inArticle 23.4oftheTRIPS 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 Mexico bymeans ofthe
following communication from itsPermanent Mission, dated 31July1997.
_______________
Theaccompanying information, fordistribution tothemembers oftheCouncil forTRIPS,
relates totheregistration ofappellations oforigin inMexico.
Thisinformation issubmitted solely forthepurposes indicated inparagraph 34ofthereport
submitted bytheCouncil forTRIPS totheWTO 'sfirstMinisterial Conference, insofar asitrelates
totheestablishment ofamultilateral system ofregistration ofgeographical indications forwines and
spirits.IP/C/W/76/Add.2
Page2
INFORMATION CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION OF
APPELLATIONS OFORIGIN INMEXICO
TitleVoftheMexican Industrial Property Actprovides fortheprotection andregulation of
theconcept of"appellation oforigin". Article 156oftheActdefines anappellation oforigin asthe
name ofageographical region ofthecountry which serves todesignate aproduct originating therein
whose quality orcharacteristics aredueexclusively tothegeographical environment, including natural
andhuman factors.
Foritspart,Article 157oftheIndustrial Property Actlaysdown thattheprotection granted
toappellations oforigin bytheActitself isinitiated byadeclaration tothateffect issued bytheMexican
Institute ofIndustrial Property. Similarly, itstipulates thattheillegal useofanappellation oforigin
willbesanctioned, evenwhere theappellation isaccompanied byterms suchas"kind", "type", "make",
"imitation" orthelikewhich could mislead theconsumer orinvolve unfair competition.
Inaccordance withArticle 158oftheAct,anappellation oforigin maybedeclared protected
exofficio orattherequest ofwhoever demonstrates alegalinterest, taking intoaccount thatforthe
purposes ofthisArticle thefollowing havealegalinterest:
- Individuals orcorporate bodies directly engaged inextracting, producing orpreparing
theproduct orproducts intended tobecovered bytheappellation oforigin;
- chambers orassociations ofmanufacturers orproducers;
- departments andentities ofthefederal government andthegovernments ofentities
oftheFederation.
Article 159oftheActrequires theapplication forprotection ofanappellation oforigin tobe
made inwriting, tobeaccompanied byevidence insupport oftheapplication andtoinclude the
following:
- Name, address andnationality oftheapplicant. Iftheapplicant isacorporate body,
itsnature andactivities must alsobeindicated;
- thelegalinterest oftheapplicant;
- theappellation oforigin;
- adetailed description ofthefinished product orproducts covered bytheappellation,
including their characteristics, components, mode ofextraction andproduction or
preparationprocesses.Inaddition,whennecessarytodeterminetherelationshipbetween
theappellation andtheproduct, theofficial standards established bytheMinistry of
Trade andIndustrial Development towhich theproduct, itsmode ofextraction, its
preparation processes anditspackaging willbesubject;
- theplaceorplaces ofextraction, production orpreparation oftheproduct tobeprotected
bytheappellation oforigin andthelimits oftheterritory oforigin, withreference
tothegeographical characteristics andpolitical boundaries;
- adetailed description oftherelationship between theappellation, theproduct andthe
territory, andIP/C/W/76/Add.2
Page3
- anyother information which theapplicant considers necessary orpertinent.
Article 160oftheActstipulates thatassoonastheapplication hasbeenreceived bytheInstitute
andthecorresponding fees(Mex$712.00 oritsequivalent US$88.4) havebeenpaid, thedataand
documents submitted willbeexamined.
If,intheopinion oftheInstitute, thedocuments submitted donotsatisfy thelegalrequirements
orareinsufficient toenable anyoftheelements oftheapplication tobeunderstood andanalysed, the
applicant willberequested toprovide thenecessary clarifications oradditional information, forwhich
purpose hewillbeallowed aperiod oftwomonths.
Iftheapplicant doesnotmeettherequirements within theperiod allowed, theapplication will
bedeemed tohavebeenabandoned, buttheInstitute maycontinue theproceeding exofficio under
theterms oftheChapter inquestion, atitsdiscretion.
Article 161oftheActprovides thatifthedocuments submitted satisfy thelegalrequirements,
theInstitute willpublish anextract oftheapplication intheOfficial Journal.
Iftheproceeding isinitiated exofficio, theInstitute publishes intheOfficial Journal anextract
oftheparticulars andrequirements specified insubdivisions IIItoVIIofArticle 159oftheAct.
Inbothcases theInstitute willgrant aperiod oftwomonths fromthedateofpublication for
anythirdparty withadocumented legalinterest tomake comments andraiseobjections andsubmit
anyevidence heconsiders relevant.
InArticle 162theActprovides thatanykindofevidence, otherthanconfessional ortestimonial,
willbeadmitted. TheInstitute oritsappointee isresponsible fortheexpert appraisal. Atanytime
before making adeclaration, theInstitute maycarry outanyinvestigations itconsiders relevant and
gather theinformation itconsiders necessary.
Article 163oftheActprovides thatoncetheperiod mentioned inArticle 161hasexpired,
thestudies havebeencarried outandtheevidence presented, theInstitute willissue aruling.
Article 164oftheActstates thatiftheruling mentioned intheprevious article grants the
appellation oforigin protection, theInstitute willsodeclare andpublish thedeclaration intheOfficial
Journal. Thedeclaration oftheInstitute granting protection toanappellation oforigin willdefinitively
determine theparticulars andrequirements mentioned inArticle 159oftheAct.
According toArticle 165,thevalidity ofthedeclaration ofprotection ofanappellation oforigin
isdetermined bythecontinued existence oftheconditions onwhich itisbased andthedeclaration
willonlycease tohaveeffect when revoked byanother declaration oftheInstitute.
Article 166oftheActprovides fortheterms ofadeclaration ofprotection ofanappellation
oforigin tobemodified atanytime, exofficio orattherequest ofaninterested party, inaccordance
withtheprocedure laiddown inthisChapter. Therelevant application must include theparticulars
required bysubdivisions ItoIIIofArticle 159oftheActandadetailed description ofthechanges
requested andthereasons forrequesting them.
Inaccordance withArticle 167oftheAct,theMexican State istheowner oftheappellation
oforigin which mayonlybeusedunder anauthorization issued bytheInstitute.IP/C/W/76/Add.2
Page4
Article 168requires theInstitute, through theMinistry ofExternal Relations, tohandle the
registration ofappellations oforigin which havebeenthesubject ofadeclaration ofprotection under
theActwithaviewtoobtaining theirrecognition abroad inaccordance withinternational treaties.
According toArticle 169,authorization touseanappellation oforigin mustberequested from
theInstitute andwillbegranted toanyindividual orcorporate bodyfulfilling thefollowing requirements:
- Isdirectly engaged intheextraction, production orpreparation oftheproducts protected
bytheappellation oforigin;
- iscarrying outthatactivity within theterritory specified inthedeclaration;
- complies withtheofficial regulations issued bytheMinistry ofTrade andIndustrial
Development, inaccordance withtheapplicable law,withrespect totheproducts in
question, and
- theother requirements ofthedeclaration.
TheActprovides,inArticle170,thattheapplicationtoobtainauthorizationtouseanappellation
oforigin must contain thedataandbeaccompanied bythedocuments indicated intheRegulations.
Under Article 171,upon receiving anapplication forauthorization touseanappellation of
origin theInstitute must proceed inaccordance withtheprovisions ofArticle 160and,ifthelegal
requirements aresatisfied, grant theauthorization.
According toArticle 172,theauthorization touseanappellation oforigin isvalidfor10years
from thedateofsubmission oftheapplication totheInstitute andmayberenewed forlikeperiods.
Article 173requires theuserofanappellation oforigin touseitexactly asitisprotected in
thedeclaration. Ifitisnotusedinthemanner specified, theauthorization willbecancelled.
Under Article 174oftheAct,therighttouseanappellation oforigin maybetransferred by
theauthorized userinaccordance withtheprovisions ofordinary law.Suchtransfer willonlybevalid
from thetimeofregistration withtheInstitute, afterithasbeenshown thatthenewuserfulfils the
conditions andrequirements laiddown intheActforobtaining therighttousetheappellation oforigin.
Article 175oftheActstates thattheauthorized userofanappellation oforigin may, inhis
turn, byagreement, permit theappellation tobeusedbythose andonlythose whodistribute orsell
theproducts covered byhismarks. Theagreement mustbeapproved bytheInstitute andtakes effect
from thetimeofitsregistration withthelatter.
Theagreement mustinclude aclause establishing anobligation uponthedistributor ormarketer
tofulfiltherequirements ofsubdivisions IIIandIVofArticle 169andtheprovisions oftheregulations.
Ifthedistributor ormarketer doesnotfulfil thisobligation, theregistration willbecancelled.
According toArticle 176oftheAct,theauthorization touseanappellation oforigin maybe
terminated by:
- Nullity, ineither ofthefollowing cases:
(a) When granted incontravention oftheprovisions oftheAct;
(b) when granted onthebasis offalsedataordocuments;IP/C/W/76/Add.2
Page5
- Cancellation, when theauthorized userusestheappellation inamanner
different from thatspecified inthedeclaration ofprotection;
- expiration ofitsperiod ofvalidity.
Article 177provides foradministrative declarations ofnullity andcancellation tobemade by
theInstitute, exofficio orattherequest ofaparty ortheFederal Attorney-General 'sOffice.
Finally, Article 178specifies that,inaddition tothenotifications required bytheActitself,
thedeclarationsmadeandauthorizationsgrantedbytheInstituteshallbepublishedintheOfficialGazette,
together withanymeasure terminating rights granted inrespect ofanappellation oforigin.
Article 68oftheRegulations oftheIndustrial Property Actstates that,forthepurposes of
Article 169oftheAct,theinterested party must submit anapplication totheInstitute indicating or,
where appropriate, accompanied by:
- Name, nationality andaddress oftheapplicant;
- location oftheindustrial establishment where theproduct covered bytheappellation
oforigin willbeproduced;
- astatementfromthecompetentlocalauthoritycertifyingthattheindustrialestablishment
issituated within theterritory specified inthedeclaration;
- astatement fromtheMinistry ofTrade andIndustrial Development totheeffect that
theinterested party complies withtheofficial quality standard, when oneexists.
Theabove-mentioned statements must have been issued within sixmonths ofthedateof
submission oftheauthorization application.
- Theoriginal oracertified copyofthepower ofattorney, intheevent oftheapplication
being submitted byanauthorized representative.
Atpresent, Mexico hasfourappellations oforigin protected atthenational levelandregistered
atinternational levelwiththeWorld Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under the1958Lisbon
Agreement fortheProtection OfAppellations ofOrigin andtheirInternational Registration, towhich
Mexico isaparty.
Theappellations oforigin which Mexico hasprotected atnational level andregistered at
international levelare:
Appellation oforigin National protection National registration
TEQUILA Published intheOfficial Registeredundernumber669
Journal oftheFederation on on13April 1978
9December 1974
MEZCAL Published intheOfficial Registeredundernumber731
Journal oftheFederation on on9March 1995
28November 1994
OLINALA Published intheOfficial Registeredundernumber732
Journal oftheFederation on on9March 1995
28November 1994IP/C/W/76/Add.2
Page6
Appellation oforigin National protection National registration
TALAVERA DEPUEBLA Published intheOfficial Registeredundernumber734
Journal oftheFederation on on6September 1995
17March 1995
Each oftheabove-mentioned appellations oforigin isapplied toaproduct, namely:
TEQUILA -Applied tothealcoholic beverage ofthesame name.
MEZCAL -Applied tothealcoholic beverage ofthesame name.
OLINALA -Applied towooden handicrafts.
TALAVERA DEPUEBLA -Applied totalavera (earthenware) handicrafts.