CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM WEDNESDAY,APRIL1,2015 ® Volume161,No.63 Crystalbluepersuasion:Foroffbeatproducts,placecanbeabrand InthehitAMCseries“BreakingBad,”protagonistWalterWhiteisahighschoolchemistryteacherwhoesaproducerofhigh-gradecrystalmethtoprovideforhisfamilyafteradiagnosisofterminalcan- tisingandregistrationcampaigns.Asacollectivelyownedbrand, thecostofmarketingGI-brandedproductsisalsoreduced,asthecostsarespreadacrossthegroup.LikeWalter’sbluemeth,GIlabeledproductsearnmarketshare GLOBALIP DORIS cer.OneofthekeystorylineswasWalter’seffortstobrandhisproductbyprovidingapremiumblue bytheiruniquecharacteristics.AlthoughWalter’sproduct couldnotbeprotectedbyaGI, ESTELLELONG meth. sincebluemethdoesnotreferto AlthoughWalter’smarketing anyparticulargeographicsource planprovidesastrangecasestudyfortheproduct,Jamaicahasal- DorisEstelleLongisalawprofessor,directoroftheCenterforIntellectual increatingmarketsharethroughreadyestablishedGIsfor“Ja- PropertyLawandchairwomanofthe brandidentity,Walterneverattemptedwhatisoftenperceivedasacriticalstepinanysuchplan—securinglegalprotectionforhisbrandthroughtrademarkregis- maican”cannabis(marijuana)and“CannabisSativa”(ganja). TheseGIsareintendedforuseinthemarketingofmarijuanatothosemarketswhereitislegal, intellectualproperty,informationtechnologyandprivacygroupatTheJohnMarshallLawSchool.ShehasservedasaconsultantonIPRissuesfordiverseU.S.andforeigngovernmentagencies,includingasattorneyadviserintheOfficeof tration.Giventhenatureofhis includingformedicalmarijuana LegislativeandInternationalAffairsofthe product,suchreluctanceisunderstandable. andinstateslikeColoradowhererecreationaluseislawful. USPTO.Shecanbereachedat7long@jmls.edu. IntheUnitedStates,evenpro- Theirprotectionisnotlimited ducersoflegalfringeproducts, toJamaica,however.Tothecon-lyoressentiallytothegeograph- suchasmedicalmarijuana,havetrary,Jamaicahasalreadyen- icalenvironment,includingnatu- discoveredthedifficultyinsecur-teredintoabilateralagreementralandhumanfactors.” ingtrademarkprotectionbeforewithSwitzerlandthatrequires UnderArticle6,aregistered theU.S.PatentandTrademark Swissprotectionofthesetwo AO“cannot…bedeemedtohave Office.Internationally,however, GIs(amongothers).Ifarevisedegeneric,aslongasitis anotherformofbrandidentity—LisbonAgreementforthePro-protected…inthecountryofori- geographicindications,orGIs—tectionofAppellationsofOrigingin.”Thisabsolutistapproach mayproviderelief. isestablishedattheMaydiplo-strengthensthevalueofaGIasa GIsforproductssuchasCham-maticconferenceinGeneva,Ja-marketingtool.Inacountrysuch pagneforsparklingwineand maicamayhavetheopportunityastheUnitedStateswhereim- ParmigianoReggianoforcheesetostrengthentheprotectionformigrantsintroducearangeof haveservedaspowerfulmarket-itsmarijuana-relatedGIsworld-termsandgoods,however,Article ingtoolsforproductsthatowe wide. 6wouldremovesuchrecognized theirspecialqualitiesto generictermsaschablis, theirgeographicsource.EventheAgreementonTradeRelatedAspectsofIn- GIs(geographicindications)arenotthesolutionforallmarketingissues. pilsnerandfontinafromlocalproducers. Thisfailuretopermitconsiderationof tellectualPropertyRights,orTRIPS,recognizestheuniquerole Butforgoods,likemarijuana,theyprovideastrongplatformtosupport localmeaningsinthecountrywhereaGIbrandedproductis ofGIsbyprohibitingunderArticle23the internationalmarketingefforts. beingmarketedhaslimitedtheLisbon usebyothersofGIsfor Agreement’spopularity: winesandspirits.AllotherGIs TheoriginalLisbonAgreementOnly28countrieshavejoined. areprotectedunderArticle22. providesevenstrongerprotectionWiththeexceptionofFranceand GIsarenotpreciselytrade- forGIsthanTRIPS.WhileTRIPSItaly,mostdevelopedcountries, marks.Instead,theyaregeo- limitsabsoluteprohibitions includingtheUnitedStates,are graphicsourceindicators,gener-againstunauthorizedusestoGIsnotmembers.NeitherisJa- allyownedbycooperativesoroth-onwinesandspirits,theLisbonmaica. eranizationsthates-Agreementrequiressignatory Thepurportedaimofthere- tablishthestandardsforproductscountriestoprohibit“anyusurpa-visedLisbonAgreementistoex- carryingtheGI.Becausetheydotionorimitation”ofregistered panditsappeal.ButinArticle12 notrequire“distinctiveness,”GIs“appellationsoforigin,”orAOs,onofthedrafttreaty(wipo.int/meet- areconsideredarelativelylow- anyproduct. ings/diplomatic_confer- costmethodfordevelopingcoun- AOsareasubcategoryofGIs,ences/2015/en),theobligationto triestoachieveabrandidentityinvolvingproductswhosespecialprotectaGIregardlessofits withoutengagingincostlyadver-characteristics“aredueexclusive-genericmeaninginthecountry wherethegoodisbeingmarketedcurrentlyremains. AmeetinginGenevaattheendofMarchdidnotresolvethisissue.IfArticle12remainsunaltered,Jamaicamightwishtojoin,aswouldmostcountriesoftheEuropeanUnionthatalreadyprovidesuchabsolutistprotectionforGIs,buttheUnitedStatesplainlywouldnot. SolongasmarijuanaremainsaSchedule1controlledsubstance,theU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficewillnotregisterproductmarks.ThisleavesU.S.producerswithoutasufficientplatformtolaunchinternationalprotectionfortheirbrands.GIsprovideastrongalternativebrandingopportunity,butproducersofalternativeproductsshouldtakethesestepstostrengthenthisprotection: •OrganizeproducerstoselectGIsforlocallysourcedgoodsandcreatestandardsfortheirapplication. •PromotethespecialqualitiesofGI-brandedgoodstoenhancetheirmarketability,spreadingthecostsamongmemberproducers. •GetinvolvedintheinternationaleffortstostrengthenGIprotection.ContacttheU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficeandstresstheeconomicharmlocalproducersfaceintheirinabilitypetewithforeignproductsduetoinadequateGIprotectionfortheirgoods. ThescopeofGIprotectioniscurrentlybeingdebatedinconnectionwithboththerevisedLisbonAgreementandtheongoingtradenegotiationsbetweentheU.S.andEuropeanUnionforafreetradeagreement. •RegisterGIswiththeappropriatestatetrademarkoffice.SuchregistrationwillatleastprovidealocalbasisforpingunauthorizedusewhiletheGIgainstraction. GIsarenotthesolutionforallmarketingissues.Butforgoodssuchasmarijuana,theyprovideastrongplatformtosupportinternationalmarketingefforts.Allittakesanization,planningandproductswithageographicuniquenesstosupportthenicheGIscancreate. Copyright©2015LawBulletinPublishingCompany.Allrightsreserved.ReprintedwithpermissionfromLawBulletinPublishingCompany.