Legal Protection of the Rights of Ggeographical Iindications in Accordance With Iraqi Law and Iinternational Aagreements

Abstract

Geographical indications, which are branches of intellectual property, are a set of signs placed on goods in such a way as to indicate their geographical origins, which have their own set of characteristics. Although geographical indications have been used since ancient times to distinguish and identify the products of a place, the history of legal regulation of geographical indications and their recognition as an intellectual property, different from objective rights, is not distant. Geographical indications are considered as one of the most important tools to protect national products, so they should be protected legally. Iraqi law has a position on geographical indications but does not mention "appellations of origin" while "appellations of origin" is considered as a part of geographical indications and must be protected. This review article attempts to present the concepts and characteristics of geographical indications in Iraqi law and international agreements, and then explains conditions, methods and reasons for the protection of geographical indications. Finally, one of the most important results that achieves is that the products distinguished by geographical indications are in greater demand and are a fundamental factor for the development of the country's economy. So, it is recommended that annual festivals and exhibitions for local products should be organized to show the source of their production and how they are prepared so that they can be protected from external violations.