WORLD TRADE IP/N/1/FRA/1
12July1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2485)
Original: French Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
UNDER ARTICLE 63.2OFTHE AGREEMENT
France
Bymeans ofcommunications from thePermanent Delegation ofFrance totheWTO, dated
21February and2April 1996, thefollowing notification hasbeen received from France under
Article 63.2oftheAgreement. Complementary information wasreceived from France bymeans of
acommunication, dated 30May1996.
_______________
FRENCH REPUBLIC
Inaccordance withArticle 63.2oftheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual
Property Rights, theFrench Authorities havethehonour tonotify herewith thereferences oftheFrench
legislation relating tointellectual property rights.1
I. Texts recognizing geographical indications
Publication ofthetextconfers entitlement toprotection.
A. Designations oforigin foragricultural products andfoodstuffs
1.Natural sweet wines
Liqueur wines
Wines byregion
2.Spirits
Rum
Wine brandy
Marc brandy
Fruit brandy
Cider andperry brandy
Cider-based aperitif
3.Cheeses andother dairy products
1Allthelaws notified aremain laws.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page2
Other foodproducts
B. Geographical indications foragricultural products andfoodstuffs
1.Local wines
2.Other products
Cheeses, dairy products andother foodproducts, asaprotected designation oforigin and
protected geographical indication, mayqualify fortheprotection afforded byCouncil Regulation (EEC)
No.2081/92 of14July1992 (OJEC No.L208of24July1992).2
C. Designations oforigin formanufactures3
Puylace: Regional Court (Tribunal deGrande Instance) ofPuy-en-Velay, 17November 1936
Cholet cloths andhandkerchiefs: Court ofAppeal ofAngers, 17November 1936
Valauris clayandpottery: Court ofCassation, Civil Division, 18November 1930
Each ofthese recognition textsissimilar instructure, andthetransmission ofallthetextsat
oncewould giverisetoadministrative congestion. Naturally, anymember oftheWTO which submits
arequest willbesentthedocument requested assoonaspossible.
Thefollowing recognition textsaretransmitted herewith:
A. Designations oforigin:4
- Spirits:
Cognac, Decree of15May1935
- Wines:
Châteauneuf duPape, Decree of2November 1966
- Cheese andother dairy products:
Beaufort -Decree of12August 1993 ontheBeaufort registered designation
oforigin
- Other foodproducts:
Nyons olive oilandNyons black olives -Decrees of10January 1994 onthe
registered designations oforigin "Nyons oliveoil"and"Nyons black olives".
2ThetextofthisCommunity Regulation hasbeen notified bytheEuropean Community anddistributed as
document IP/N/1/EEC/G/1.
3Category Cdesignations oforigin formanufactures have been recognized bythecourts; theconditions
ofproduction arelaiddown inthedecisions ofthecompetent courts.
4Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/G/4.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page3
B. Geographical indications5
- Local wines:
Wines ofsouthern France -Decree of15October 1987defining theconditions
ofproduction forsouthern French wines.
- Other products:
Landes chicken (Poulets jaune desLandes) -Label No.01-65 -Order of
30November 1965
Chalosse beef-Label No.18-91 -Order of23June1992
Savoy cheese (Tomme deSavoie) -Label No.02-76 -Order of27July1978
Lautrec pinkgarlic (AilrosedeLautrec) -Label No.02-66 -Order of
20June1966.
Thenumber published byOrder intheOfficial Journal oftheRepublic creates anentitlement
toprotection; itidentifies aspecification fortheproduction methods andthegeographical areaof
production. Thisspecification remains theproperty ofagroup ofproducers andmaybeconsulted
intheMinistry ofAgriculture, Fisheries andFood.
II. Structures andprocedures fortherecognition andcontrol ofgeographical indications inFrance
They arepublic orrecognized bythepublic authority.
Designations oforigin6
- Lawof6May1919 (JORF of8May1919), asamended, ontheprotection ofdesignations
oforigin.
Thislawistoday partly codified intheConsumer Code (Law No.93-949 of26July1993,
except forArticles 10to13inparticular).
- Legislative Decree of30July1935, asamended, ontheprotection ofthewine market and
theeconomic regime governing alcohol, particularly Articles 20,21and23thereof. TheDecree
setsupacategory ofso-called "registered" designations oforigin, together withaNational
Committee ondesignations oforigin forwines andbrandies, laterrenamed theNational Institute
ofDesignations ofOrigin forWines andBrandies, inaccordance withtheprovisions ofthe
Decree of16July1947.
- LawNo.90-558 of2July1990 onregistered designations oforigin foragricultural products
andfoodstuffs, raworprocessed -JORF of6July1990(codified intheConsumer Code, except
forArticle 2).
TheNational Institute ofDesignations ofOrigin forWines andBrandies hasbeenrenamed
National Institute ofDesignations ofOrigin; itsresponsibilities have been extended tocover all
agricultural products andfoodstuffs, whether raworprocessed.
5Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/G/5. Asfarasthegeographical indications forother products are
concerned, onlythelabel certification number ispublished byOrder intheOfficial Journal oftheRepublic;
therecognition texttransmitted concerns theOrder of23June 1992 forthecertification oflabel No.18-91,
"Chalosse beef".
6Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/G/1.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page4
TheNationalInstituteofDesignationsofOriginisapublicinstitutionofanadministrativenature,
anditisplaced under thesupervision oftheMinister responsible foragriculture.
- Decree No.91-368 of15April 1991ontheorganization andfunctioning oftheNational Institute
ofDesignations ofOrigin -JORF of17April 1991.
- LawNo.49-1603 of18December 1949ontheofficial recognition, intheWine Code, ofwines
defined asofsuperior quality (JORF of21December 1949), asamended byDecree No.55-671
of20May1955,supplementingcertainprovisionsrelatingtotheorganizationandrationalization
ofthewinemarket andtheorientation ofwineproduction.
- Decree No.88-416 of22April 1988, fortheimplementation -withregard torumsandtafias -
oftheLawof1August 1905 onfraud andforgery relating toproducts orservices (JORF of
24April 1988), asamended byDecree No.92-285 of27March 1992.
Local wines7
- Decree No.68-807 of13September 1968repealing statutory provisions relating towineand
instituting public administration regulations fortheimplementation oftheLawof1August 1905
onthesuppression ofwine-related fraud (JORF of15September 1968), asamended byDecree
No.95-538 of4May1995 (JORF of6May1995).
- Decree No.79-756 of4September 1979, laying down theconditions ofproduction forlocal
wines.
Geographical indications forother products8
- Decree No.94-598 of6July1994 onreview procedures concerning applications forthe
registration ofprotected geographical indications andspecific character certificates (JORF of
18and19July1994).
- Order of24October 1994 onthemembership andfunctioning oftheNational Commission
onLabels andCertificates forAgricultural Products andFoodstuffs andoftheJointCommission
(JORF of8November 1994).
- Decree No.94-492 of13June1994 (JORF of18June1994) ontheNational Commission
onLabels andCertificates forAgricultural Products andFoodstuffs.
III. Texts ofgeneral scope9
- Law No.93-949 of26July1993 ontheConsumer Code (legislative part) (JORF of
27July1993), asamended byLaw No.94-2 of3January 1994 onthecertification of
agricultural products andfoodstuffs (JORF of4January 1994), amended byLawNo.94-442
of3June1994 amending theConsumer Code withregard tothecertification ofindustrial
products andservices andthemarketing ofcertain products (JORF of4June1994).
7Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/G/2.
8Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/G/3.
9Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/O/1.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page5
Book I-Consumer information andconclusion ofcontracts
- Title1-Consumer information
- Chapter V-Promotion ofproducts andservices
Section 1-Designations oforigin
Subsection 1:Definition
Subsection 2:Administrative protection procedure
Subsection 3:Judicial protection procedure
Subsection 4:Criminal actions
Subsection 5:National Institute ofDesignations ofOrigin
Section 2(Law No.94-2of3January 1994): Labelling andCertification ofAgricultural Products
andFoodstuffs.
- TitleII-Trade practices
Section 1:Advertising
Article L121-1
Article L121-8
Article L121-10
Book II-Conformity andsafety ofproducts andservices
- Title1-Conformity
- Chapter II-General requirement ofconformity
- Chapter III-Fraud andforgery
Section 1:Fraud
Section 2:Forgery andrelated offences
Section 3:Statutory recidivism
- Chapter V-Powers ofinquiry
Section 1:Qualified authorities
Section 2:Obtaining evidence
Section 3:Emergency measures
Section 4:Expert opinions.
- Chapter VI:Common provisions
- Chapter VII: Special provisions
TheConsumer Code provides forthecodification ofanumber oflaws, including those
concerning designations oforigin under theLawof1August 1905 onfraud andforgery inrespect
ofproducts orservices andtheLawof6May1919 ontheprotection ofdesignations oforigin.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page6
- Order No.86-1243 of1December 1986 (JORF of9December 1986) concerning freedom
ofprices andcompetition.
- Decree No.86-1309 of29December 1986 (JORF of30December 1986) laying down the
conditions fortheimplementation ofOrder No.86-1243 of1December 1986.
IV. Newvarieties ofplants10
- LawNo.70-489 of11June1970 ontheprotection ofnewvarieties ofplants iscodified in
theIntellectual Property Code, Book VI,Protection ofinventions andtechnical knowledge,
TitleII,Chapter III,NewPlant Varieties, Articles L623.1toL623.35 (cf.WIPO Series).
Articles L4121-L61117arealsoapplicable.
- Decree No.95-385 of10April 1995ontheRegulations contained intheIntellectual Property
Code (JORF of13April 1995), Articles 623.1to623.67, asamended byDecree No.95-1407
of28December1995(JORFof4January1996)concerningthefieldofapplicationofcertificates
fornewvarieties ofplants andtheduration andscope ofthebreeders 'rights.
V. ListofFrench geographical indications11
VI. Industrial property ingeneral12
- LawNo.92-597 of1July1992 ontheIntellectual Property Code
(legislative part)[lastamended byLawNo.94-102 of5February 1994].
(This textreplaces theonepublished previously under thesame reference
number; itincorporates andalsosupersedes insubstance those published
previously under reference Nos. 1-001, 1-002, 1-004, 2-001, 2-002,
2-003, 3-001, 3-002 and5-001.) Text1-001
- Decree onprotection ofthetopographies ofintegrated circuits
(No.89-816 of2November 1989) Text1-003
A. Inventions andinnovations13
Seetext1-001.
- Decree No.78-1010 of10October 1978 issued pursuant toLaw
No.77-682 (PCT) Text2-004
- Decree No.78-1011 of10October 1978 issued pursuant toLaw
No.77-683 (European patent) Text2-005
10Distributed asdocuments IP/N/1/FRA/I/1 andIP/N/1/FRA/P/2.
11Thislisthasbeendistributed together withtherecognition textsdistributed asdocuments IP/N/1/FRA/G/4
and5.
12Distributed asdocuments IP/N/1/FRA/I/1 andIP/N/1/FRA/L/1.
13Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/P/1.IP/N/1/FRA/1
Page7
- Decree onapplications forpatents andutility certificates andonthe
issuance andmaintenance inforce ofsuchdocuments (No.79-822 of
19September 1979, aslastamended byDecree No.91-1180 of
19November 1991) Text2-006
- Decree oninventions byemployees (No.79-797 of4September 1979, as
amended byDecree No.84-684 of17July1984) Text2-007
- Decree No.80-645 of4August 1980 oninventions bycivilservants and
public officials Text2-008
B. Marks14
Seetext1-001.
Decree ontrade orservice marks (No.92-100 of30January 1992) Text3-003
C. Industrial designs
Seetext1-001.
D. Unfair competition andgeographical indications
Seetext1-001.
E. Technology transfer
VII. Copyright andrelated rights15
- Lawonauthors 'rights andontherights ofperformers, producers ofphonograms and
videograms andaudiovisual communication enterprises (No.85-660 of3July1985).
- Ministerial Order issued pursuant toArticle 20(Title II)ofLawNo.85-660 of3July1985,
ontherights neighbouring oncopyright ofperformers engaged forthemaking ofanaudiovisual
work (of17October 1990).
- Lawonstatutory deposit (No.92-546 of20June1992).
- LawontheIntellectual Property Code (legislative part)[No.92-597 of1July1992, aslast
amended byLaws Nos. 94-361 of10May1994 and95-4of3January 1995]. (This text
supersedes theonepublished previously under thesame reference number.)
- Decree No.96-103 of2February 1996 issued pursuant toLawNo.94-361 of10May1994
onthelegalprotection ofcomputer programs andamending theIntellectual Property Code.
14Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/T/1.
15Distributed asdocument IP/N/1/FRA/C/1.