Cross-Border Geographical Indications of Khirsapat, Himsagar and Fazli Mangoes Across the Bangladesh–India Border
Keywords:
single color marks, TRIPS, WIPO, non-conventional trademarks, Indian Trademark law, intellectual propertyAbstract
This research is a comparative legal analysis of the geographical indications (GIs) for two mango varieties namely Fazli and Khirsapat (Bangladesh) and Himsagar (India) from the historically unified Bangladesh Delta. This study explores the officially registered GIs in Bangladesh and India under the 2013 Bangladesh GI Act and 1999 Indian GI Act, respectively, concerning the defined (positive) criteria, geo-specificity, and quality-to-terroir evidence, for the mangoes in question. Both registered Bangladeshi GIs, “Fazli Mango of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj” and “Khirsapat Mango of Chapainawabganj,” are defensively TRIPS compliant due to the incorporation of traditional knowledge. India’s claim to the Fazli mango is still informal and unregistered, and while the registration of the Himsagar mango is formal, it suffers from broad geo-coverage and weak evidentiary support. The postcolonial remapping of the Asia certainly transforms the shared agro-historical experiences of communities into a contested legal space. The lack of fit between the contemporary international regime of geographical indications and cross-border disputes suggests a collaborative approach between countries or regions.
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