Wondering why teas are named after the origin they are produced in? Or, do origin-specific teas receive protection? Duplicate blends are a great threat to modern tea market. You know, every year much more quantity of Darjeeling tea comes to the market than it is really produced. However, there are certain protections but these become more authentic when they are imposed by some certified association.
The mechanisms used to protect origin-specific products are called geographical indications. Now, what do you mean by geographical indications? WTO or World Trade Organization defines this term as –
“Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a [World Trade Organization] Member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin (TRIPS Article 22(1)).”
Now, let us have a quick look at some of the geographical indication existing today for Indian tea authentication.
World’s Gold Standard for India
Teas packed in this country contain the logo of India Tea. Have you noticed it? Check it out next time you find a tea packet. Aside this, India Tea Board also maintains one appellation system for protecting most blends and their origin.
Every tea origin has a specific logo of its own. For instance, Kangra tea, Nilgiri CTC, Nilgiri Orthodox, Dooars Terai, Dooars CTC, Assam CTC, Assam Orthodox and Darjeeling - all these have their own mark or logo. The diverse kinds of blends produced in these regions have their own mark which helps consumers identify their type and verify their authenticity.
What conditions should a company fulfill for using the logo?
Companies using any of these logos must register themselves with India Tea Board. In addition, they also have to submit their annual sale and purchase information to the board. The best we can say about this system is that it is an effort made to protect the specific tea names.
Special Trademark for a Special Blend
The very special Darjeeling tea has received United States trademark since 1988. Recent wordings of this trademark say:
“Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a [World Trade Organization] Member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin (TRIPS Article 22(1)).”
However, the geographical indications are mostly valid if the products are labeled and packed in their origin country.