GI Policy and Strategy: A Change of Attitude to sui generis GI Registration

Whether a sui generis system of protection for GIs is a useful policy tool had rarely been considered in Australia. The issue was almost exclusively viewed through the lens of international trade negotiations and the demands of the EU extending into the sphere of what many considered generic descriptors. We (Jen Cleary, Peter Drahos and later also Lucie Tréguier) undertook empirical research (about 175 interviews)  which tended to confirm our inferences from the literature that a GI system can effectively overcome free rider problems and failures of cooperation when producers move up the value chain in food production. Those conclusions have now taken on additional significance in the context of the FTA negotiations between Australia and the EU, and the adoption of sui generis GI protection systems in many countries in Asia.

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Each year the OIPRC hosts a number of leading academics from around the world as part of its Invited Speaker Series. These events typically run from 5:15-6:45pm on Thursday evenings at St. Peter’s College; if the venue or time is different, it will be noted on the Events calendar.  The Speaker Series consists of a presentation of about 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A session with the assembled group of academic staff, students (both undergraduate and graduate), researchers, and interested members of the public.  Discussion is informal and includes participants from several disciplines, with a wide range of prior knowledge.

 

Convenors: Dev Gangjee and Robert Pitkethly

 

Refreshments and snacks are served at the conclusion of the discussion.  All are welcome.