No atual contexto econômico da empresa agrária, em que os produtos da atividade econômica, sejam eles animais ou vegetais, são tratados como verdadeiras commodities, ou seja, bens absolutamente fungíveis, cujo valor de comercialização é determinado em bolsas de mercadorias & futuro, as indicações geográficas ganham cada vez mais importância econômica quanto ao empresário rural, por tratar-se de uma importante ferramenta de diferenciação no mercado, permitindo que se agregue valor aos produtos agrícolas. A presente dissertação visa o estudo dos principais aspectos relativos às indicações geográficas, como a sua natureza jurídica, titularidade, extensão da proteção, procedimento de registro, comparando-as a institutos análogos, especialmente as marcas coletivas e de certificação, como maneira de permitir uma melhor compreensão do instituto e de ressaltar a possibilidade do seu uso como instrumento de desenvolvimento agrário no Brasil. Para tanto, pretende-se fazer um estudo sobre a evolução história do instituto, especialmente sobre a crescente proteção das indicações geográficas, através dos acordos internacionais, iniciados com a Convenção da União de Paris CUP, passando pelos Acordos de Madrid, Lisboa e acordo TRIPS (sigla em inglês da expressão Aspectos dos Direitos da Propriedade Intelectual relacionados ao Comércio). Estuda-se, com este trabalho, a evolução da proteção às indicações geográficas no país, culminando com a proteção prevista na Lei nº 9.279/96 (Lei da Propriedade Industrial), e os procedimentos para o registro destas perante o Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial INPI. Visa-se, ainda, tecer algumas críticas que se fazem necessárias à falta de uma melhor normatização das indicações geográficas na Lei da Propriedade Industrial. Por fim, o trabalho tem como objetivo contribuir para a consolidação da proteção e divulgação da importância das indicações geográficas no atual contexto brasileiro, permitindo e incentivando seu desenvolvimento pelos produtores brasileiros. / The products of the present day agricultural enterprise, be they animal or crops are traded on the world markets like any other commodity, that is to say, they are fungible goods whose value is determined solely on the world commodity exchanges and futures markets. In this context, the geographical indications take on an increasing significance to the agrarian businessman in that they allow those agricultural products to be distinguished from the standard commodities and thus enable them to command a premium price. This dissertation aims the study the main aspects of the geographical indications, such as their legal nature, where ownership lies, the extent of their legal protection, registration procedures, and to compare them with similar concepts, such as: collective trademarks and certification marks. The objective being to understand the importance of the principle better and demonstrate its possible use as a means of further agricultural development in Brazil. The intention is to study the historical evolution of the concept of geographical indications, particularly regarding the growing protection of geographical indications through international treaties such as the Paris Convention, the Madrid and Lisbon agreements and the TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) accord. The evolution of Brazilian legislation protecting geographical indications will be considered, this legislation culminating with the protection embodied in Law No. 9279/96 (Industrial Property Law) and the procedures for registration of geographical indications with the National Institute for Industrial Property Rights. It is also my intention to analyse critically the lack of more precise rules governing geographical indications within the Industrial Property Law. Finally, this paper tries to contribute to the understanding of the importance of geographical indications to Brazil at present and to consolidate a means of protecting their integrity, in this way allowing and encouraging the development of new geographical indications for Brazilian producers.

No atual contexto econômico da empresa agrária, em que os produtos da atividade econômica, sejam eles animais ou vegetais, são tratados como verdadeiras commodities, ou seja, bens absolutamente fungíveis, cujo valor de comercialização é determinado em bolsas de mercadorias & futuro, as indicações geográficas ganham cada vez mais importância econômica quanto ao empresário rural, por tratar-se de uma importante ferramenta de diferenciação no mercado, permitindo que se agregue valor aos produtos agrícolas. A presente dissertação visa o estudo dos principais aspectos relativos às indicações geográficas, como a sua natureza jurídica, titularidade, extensão da proteção, procedimento de registro, comparando-as a institutos análogos, especialmente as marcas coletivas e de certificação, como maneira de permitir uma melhor compreensão do instituto e de ressaltar a possibilidade do seu uso como instrumento de desenvolvimento agrário no Brasil. Para tanto, pretende-se fazer um estudo sobre a evolução história do instituto, especialmente sobre a crescente proteção das indicações geográficas, através dos acordos internacionais, iniciados com a Convenção da União de Paris CUP, passando pelos Acordos de Madrid, Lisboa e acordo TRIPS (sigla em inglês da expressão Aspectos dos Direitos da Propriedade Intelectual relacionados ao Comércio). Estuda-se, com este trabalho, a evolução da proteção às indicações geográficas no país, culminando com a proteção prevista na Lei nº 9.279/96 (Lei da Propriedade Industrial), e os procedimentos para o registro destas perante o Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial INPI. Visa-se, ainda, tecer algumas críticas que se fazem necessárias à falta de uma melhor normatização das indicações geográficas na Lei da Propriedade Industrial. Por fim, o trabalho tem como objetivo contribuir para a consolidação da proteção e divulgação da importância das indicações geográficas no atual contexto brasileiro, permitindo e incentivando seu desenvolvimento pelos produtores brasileiros. / The products of the present day agricultural enterprise, be they animal or crops are traded on the world markets like any other commodity, that is to say, they are fungible goods whose value is determined solely on the world commodity exchanges and futures markets. In this context, the geographical indications take on an increasing significance to the agrarian businessman in that they allow those agricultural products to be distinguished from the standard commodities and thus enable them to command a premium price. This dissertation aims the study the main aspects of the geographical indications, such as their legal nature, where ownership lies, the extent of their legal protection, registration procedures, and to compare them with similar concepts, such as: collective trademarks and certification marks. The objective being to understand the importance of the principle better and demonstrate its possible use as a means of further agricultural development in Brazil. The intention is to study the historical evolution of the concept of geographical indications, particularly regarding the growing protection of geographical indications through international treaties such as the Paris Convention, the Madrid and Lisbon agreements and the TRIPS (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) accord. The evolution of Brazilian legislation protecting geographical indications will be considered, this legislation culminating with the protection embodied in Law No. 9279/96 (Industrial Property Law) and the procedures for registration of geographical indications with the National Institute for Industrial Property Rights. It is also my intention to analyse critically the lack of more precise rules governing geographical indications within the Industrial Property Law. Finally, this paper tries to contribute to the understanding of the importance of geographical indications to Brazil at present and to consolidate a means of protecting their integrity, in this way allowing and encouraging the development of new geographical indications for Brazilian producers.

This thesis explores the historical evolution of the nature of the link between a product and its place of origin in the European sui generis systems of GI protection, with a specific focus on the EU Regulation 1151/2012 on Geographical Indications for the protection of agricultural products and foodstuffs. It concludes that this link has substantively changed, since the 1930s, when some early forms of sui generis GI systems were introduced in southern Europe, especially in France and Italy. While these regimes were based exclusively on the concept of terroir, a cipher for the physical link between a product and a place, an empirical analysis carried out in the present work reveals that, today, the history of the product and of its method of production is, statistically, the predominant linking factor. Furthermore, the research shows that the historical link is almost always mentioned in the specifications of EU GI products, when protected both by Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indications (PGI), which are the two quality schemes provided by EU Law. In particular, the terroir element, which characterises PDOs, also appears frequently in PGI specifications, where it should be superfluous, thus suggesting that the differences between these two quality schemes are unclear. Finally, the emergence of the historical element confirms that GIs can contribute to the protection of products that are linked to a geographical area not by physical and environmental factors, but by the socio-cultural traditions of a specific place. Although history can constitute a valid product/link, however, it must be used with caution, as it can be mystified and reconstructed in an arbitrary and unfounded way. This is dangerous, because it can turn GIs into a mere marketing tool, thus damaging the origin function that distinguishes them from the broad family of quality labels.

The relationship between international regimes regulating intellectual property, traditional knowledge and biodiversity has received much attention in recent times. Of the many complex and controversial issues in contemporary international legal discourse on this matter, the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) stands out as a significant challenge. Choices abound in the search for modalities to regulate rights to use and control TK systems and their underlying biodiversity. In recent times, the protection of geographical indications (GIs) has emerged as an option for protecting TK. Despite the considerable enthusiasm over it, there is appreciable research dearth on how far and in what context GIs can be used as a protection model. Indeed, not only is the concept of GIs itself widely misunderstood. As well, analyses as to their applicability for protecting TK often reflect underlying cultural differences in the nature, scope and the jurisprudence regarding GIs across jurisdictions. This thesis examines the relationship between GIs and TK, focusing on the responsiveness of GIs to the needs and desires of indigenous peoples and local communities (ILCs). The thesis posits that the search for a model to protect TK should involve identifying different modalities, including those based on intellectual property, to fit to the nature and uses of TK in particular contexts. The analysis conceptualizes GIs as a form of IP that are structurally and functionally suitable to protect aspects of TK in traditional knowledge-based agricultural products (TKBAPs). Substantively, the thesis draws attention to the conceptual underpinnings of GIs as encompassing cultural and economic objectives in the protection of TK. As such, it is argued that stronger protection of GIs should be achieved by integrating the negotiations and discussion concerning GIs and TK at the international level. Further, the case is made for the determination of immediate challenges and long-term opportunities in choosing a legal means for protecting GIs at the national level. In this connection, the thesis suggests that the potential of GIs to meet national and local imperatives to protect TK be assessed, inter alia, based on their instrumentality for economic, biodiversity, cultural and food security objectives in protecting TKBAPs.