Gvaramadze IP Law Firm Co-Organizes International Conference on Geographical Indications and Appellations of Origin in Tbilisi
On November 5 - 6, 2026, Gvaramadze IP Law Firm and the Assembly of Eurasian Patent Attorneys jointly organized an international conference in Tbilisi on the legal protection of appellations of origin and geographical indications.
Participants included the President of the Assembly of Eurasian Patent Attorneys, along with patent attorneys and intellectual property specialists from Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Russia, and Tajikistan. They shared national experiences and discussed registration and enforcement practices, potential trademark conflicts, and international protection mechanisms for appellations of origin and geographical indications.
Dr. Shalva Gvaramadze, patent attorney and head of Gvaramadze IP Law Firm, delivered opening remarks and moderated a roundtable on verifying compliance with product specifications for goods bearing appellations of origin or geographical indications. At the roundtable, Ms. Manana Pruidze, Chief Consultant at Gvaramadze IP Law Firm (LL.M. in Intellectual Property), presented Georgia’s legal framework and practices for verifying compliance with product specifications. She also discussed Georgia’s experience in protecting its appellations of origin and geographical indications abroad.
The conference was particularly relevant to protecting Georgian wine appellations of origin and geographical indications in traditional export markets, including Russia, Belarus, and countries in Central Asia. Patent attorneys from these markets received detailed information about the reputation of Georgian wines, the link between their characteristics and geographical origin, and how compliance with product specifications is verified in Georgia. Cooperation with local patent attorneys is important for the Georgian government and associations representing Georgian right holders when assessing suspected misuse of protected names and taking appropriate enforcement action in those markets.
The two-day conference gave participants an opportunity to compare how different countries protect origin-linked products and to exchange practical experience relevant to producers seeking protection at home and abroad.
Comments