Service Overview
Geographical Indications (GIs) and Appellations of Origin (AOs) are powerful intellectual property tools that link a product’s quality, reputation, or characteristics to its place of origin. They are strategic assets for countries and brand owners across the Middle East and North Africa, particularly for high-value foods, agricultural products and traditional crafts.
Across the Middle East, a region rich in distinctive terroirs, centuries-old crafts, and unique agricultural and social traditions, governments are taking steps to formalise GI protection to diversify economies, support rural communities, and strengthen export competitiveness. The regional landscape is fragmented and dynamic. In the GCC region, for example, Oman and Bahrain have long-standing GI laws, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia are rolling out new GI systems, while others still rely on trademarks, unfair competition and consumer-protection rules.
For businesses, cooperatives and public bodies, this mix of sui generis GI laws, certification and collective marks, trade agreements and enforcement practices creates both opportunity and risk. You need a partner who understands the details of each system and how they work together in cross-border strategies.
We help you turn origin into a defensible, valuable right.
Our Capabilities
We advise businesses, producers, cooperatives, associations and public authorities on the full life-cycle of GI and AO protection across the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, including:
- Strategy & Feasibility
- Assessing whether your product is best protected as a GI, AO, certification mark, collective mark or a combination.
- Mapping relevant national laws, treaties and trade agreements that affect protection and enforcement.
- Designing origin-branding and labelling strategies that comply with local rules and international commitments (TRIPS, Lisbon/Geneva Act, FTAs).
- GI / AO Creation & Registration
- Drafting product specifications: defined geographic area, production methods, quality parameters and control systems.
- Preparing and prosecuting GI/AO applications before national IP offices and competent ministries.
- Advising on the interaction between GI/AO registration and prior trademarks, including refusals, coexistence and cancellation actions.
- Governance & Use
- Structuring and documenting producer groups, consortia, and public–private partnerships.
- Drafting internal regulations, licensing schemes, and control protocols for GI/AO users.
- Developing and implementing logo and seal-of-origin programs aligned with national inspection requirements.
- Enforcement & Dispute Resolution
- Monitoring markets and customs channels for misuse, evocation and false indications of origin.
- Acting in oppositions, cancellations, civil infringement actions and unfair-competition claims.
- Coordinating multi-jurisdictional enforcement where your GI/AO is threatened in several Middle Eastern, South Asian and African markets.
- Commercialisation & Cross-Border Expansion
- Integrating GIs/AOs into broader brand and trade strategies, including distribution and marketing agreements.
- Leveraging international systems (e.g. Geneva Act registrations, bilateral GI lists) to extend protection into key export markets.
Why Work With Us
- Regional depth: On-the-ground experience with emerging GI regimes in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
- Unparalleled IP expertise: Seamless handling of the overlap between GIs/AOs, trademarks, unfair competition and consumer-protection law.
- Practical and strategic: We focus on workable structures that local authorities will accept and that producer groups can actually operate and enforce.
Contact us to discuss how we can secure, manage and enforce GI and AO protection for your products
Service Overview
Geographical Indications (GIs) and Appellations of Origin (AOs) are powerful intellectual property tools that link a product’s quality, reputation, or characteristics to its place of origin. They are strategic assets for countries and brand owners across the Middle East and North Africa, particularly for high-value foods, agricultural products and traditional crafts.
Across the Middle East, a region rich in distinctive terroirs, centuries-old crafts, and unique agricultural and social traditions, governments are taking steps to formalise GI protection to diversify economies, support rural communities, and strengthen export competitiveness. The regional landscape is fragmented and dynamic. In the GCC region, for example, Oman and Bahrain have long-standing GI laws, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia are rolling out new GI systems, while others still rely on trademarks, unfair competition and consumer-protection rules.
For businesses, cooperatives and public bodies, this mix of sui generis GI laws, certification and collective marks, trade agreements and enforcement practices creates both opportunity and risk. You need a partner who understands the details of each system and how they work together in cross-border strategies.
We help you turn origin into a defensible, valuable right.
Our Capabilities
We advise businesses, producers, cooperatives, associations and public authorities on the full life-cycle of GI and AO protection across the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, including:
- Strategy & Feasibility
- Assessing whether your product is best protected as a GI, AO, certification mark, collective mark or a combination.
- Mapping relevant national laws, treaties and trade agreements that affect protection and enforcement.
- Designing origin-branding and labelling strategies that comply with local rules and international commitments (TRIPS, Lisbon/Geneva Act, FTAs).
- GI / AO Creation & Registration
- Drafting product specifications: defined geographic area, production methods, quality parameters and control systems.
- Preparing and prosecuting GI/AO applications before national IP offices and competent ministries.
- Advising on the interaction between GI/AO registration and prior trademarks, including refusals, coexistence and cancellation actions.
- Governance & Use
- Structuring and documenting producer groups, consortia, and public–private partnerships.
- Drafting internal regulations, licensing schemes, and control protocols for GI/AO users.
- Developing and implementing logo and seal-of-origin programs aligned with national inspection requirements.
- Enforcement & Dispute Resolution
- Monitoring markets and customs channels for misuse, evocation and false indications of origin.
- Acting in oppositions, cancellations, civil infringement actions and unfair-competition claims.
- Coordinating multi-jurisdictional enforcement where your GI/AO is threatened in several Middle Eastern, South Asian and African markets.
- Commercialisation & Cross-Border Expansion
- Integrating GIs/AOs into broader brand and trade strategies, including distribution and marketing agreements.
- Leveraging international systems (e.g. Geneva Act registrations, bilateral GI lists) to extend protection into key export markets.
Why Work With Us
- Regional depth: On-the-ground experience with emerging GI regimes in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
- Unparalleled IP expertise: Seamless handling of the overlap between GIs/AOs, trademarks, unfair competition and consumer-protection law.
- Practical and strategic: We focus on workable structures that local authorities will accept and that producer groups can actually operate and enforce.
Contact us to discuss how we can secure, manage and enforce GI and AO protection for your products
Representative Matters
- UTMPS delivers GI enforcement projects for national authorities, monitoring markets for misuse, evocation, and false indications of origin. By combining on-ground investigations with AI-assisted online monitoring and data analytics, we provide fast, intelligence-led protection for high-value geographical indications under strict timelines.
- Acted as counsel to the Rice Association of Pakistan in litigation concerning rights to the use of the term “Basmati,” including strategic advisory support to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan in proceedings involving claims asserted by the Rice Association of India.
- Successfully opposed an appellation of origin, such as “Texmati,” on behalf of the Rice Association of Pakistan.
