The First GI for Winemaking Registered in Russia

On July 27, 2020, Federal Law No. 230-FZ of July 26, 2019 entered into force and introduced a new object of intellectual property rights protection into the Russian legislation – geographical indication (GI).

On March 19, 2021, Rospatent registered a geographical indication "Kuban" – the first GI in Russia for wine products originating from the Kuban wine-growing area located in Krasnodar Krai.

Notably, the Law on GIs allows filing applications by associations or other groups of persons, including both direct producers of goods and persons who introduce the goods into the market. Therefore, three associations were able to file a single application for "Kuban" GI (application number №2020749829, filed on October 13, 2020). These associations (Self-Regulating Organization "Winegrowers and Winemakers", Winemaking Union and Chestno) comprise 36 wine producers of Krasnodar Krai.

"Many original goods are produced in the regions of Russia. They are popular both among guests and residents. They are unique due to their geographical origin and compliance with traditional production technologies. The Law of GIs, being a new marketing tool, has opened up wide opportunities for local manufacturers to promote their products on the Russian market. Guided by the provisions of the new law, the winemakers of the Krasnodar Krai have already filed 11 applications for registration of geographical indications. These applications are currently under examination”, commented Grigory Ivliev, Head of Rospatent.