Geographical Indications and Trademark Conflicts: A Comparative Study of Legal Protection and Judicial Enforcement

Zeyad Tareq Al-Rawe; Khaled Abdelfatah Mohamed Khalil; Sahar Abdelsttar Emam Aly; Abdelraouf Hassan Abouelhadid; Moustafa Aboumandour Mousa Eisa

doi:10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.319

Authors

Zeyad Tareq Al-Rawe College of Law Sohar University, Oman
Khaled Abdelfatah Mohamed Khalil College of Law, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Sahar Abdelsttar Emam Aly College of Law, University of Sadat City (USC), Egypt
Abdelraouf Hassan Abouelhadid College of Law, University of Minnesota, Egypt
Moustafa Aboumandour Mousa Eisa College of Law, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.319

Keywords:

Economic Competitiveness; Geographical Indications; Intellectual Property Law; International Trade; Judicial Protection.

Abstract

Geographical indications (GIs) have become an essential component of the international intellectual property regime, protecting products whose quality, reputation, and commercial value are intrinsically linked to their geographical origin. Nevertheless, conflicts between geographical indications and trademarks continue to create legal uncertainty because of divergent national approaches to ownership, priority, coexistence, and enforcement. This study aims to examine the legal relationship between geographical indications and trademarks comparatively, evaluate the effectiveness of judicial enforcement in resolving such conflicts, and develop an integrated legal protection framework to strengthen the economic competitiveness of GI products in international markets. The research adopts a normative legal methodology with a comparative law approach, analysing international legal instruments, including the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, together with national legislation and landmark judicial decisions from the European Union, the United States, and selected Arab jurisdictions. The findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of GI protection depends not only on substantive legal provisions but also on the consistency of judicial enforcement and the institutional commitment to preserving the distinctiveness of geographical names. Comparative case analysis further reveals that effective judicial protection strengthens market exclusivity, enhances consumer confidence, and improves product competitiveness, whereas inconsistent enforcement facilitates the genericization of geographical names and diminishes the commercial value of geographical indications. The study concludes that balancing trademark rights and protection of geographical indications requires harmonized legal standards, coherent judicial interpretation, and stronger institutional coordination to prevent consumer confusion while safeguarding legitimate commercial interests. This research contributes to the advancement of comparative intellectual property scholarship by proposing an integrated framework for judicial enforcement that enhances legal certainty, promotes fair competition, preserves product authenticity, and supports the sustainable global competitiveness of geographical indication products.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alaloosh, Mahmood, Ali Shaker Mahmood, and Sabir Hussien Eliwy. ‘Securing Digital Trade: A Techno-Legal Analysis of E-Commerce Safeguards in Iraq’s Regulation No. 4/2025’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 5, no. 1 (February 2026): 44–60. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18452737.

Al-Buqmi, Ayed Sultan Marzouq. Infringements on Trademarks and Methods of Their Protection: A Comparative Study. (Faculty of Sharia and Law in Damanhur, Al‑Azhar University), October 2025.

Almakhzoumi, Omar, and Yasar Alhunieti. ‘Peacekeeping in International Law and Intervention in Internal Affairs’. In Frontiers of Human Centricity in the Artificial Intelligence-Driven Society 5.0, 621–34. Springer, Cham, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73545-5_52.

Al-Mawla, Bushra Khaled Turki. ‘Protection of Geographical Indications from Unfair Competition A Comparative Legal Study’. Tikrit University Journal For Rights, 2024.

Alzubaidi, Khaled, S. El-Manaseer, Omar Almakhzoumi, and Bassam Abu Irmilah. ‘The Case of Contradiction Between Preserving Public Order and Observing Individuals’ Rights and Freedoms in French Administrative Law’. In Frontiers of Human Centricity in the Artificial Intelligence-Driven Society 5.0, 683–691. Springer, Cham, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73545-5_57.

Appeal No. 8121 of Judicial Year 81, Appeals Nos. 9560 and 9627 of Judicial Year 82 (Egyptian Court of Cassation). Accessed 16 March 2026. https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/ar/text/585757. 2027.

Bently, Lionel, and Brad Sherman. Intellectual Property Law. Oxford University Press. Ord University Press, 2014. https://books.google.com/books/about/Intellectual_Property_Law.html?id=nmKCBAAAQBAJ.

Calboli, Irene, and Jane C. Ginsburg. ‘The Cambridge Handbook of International and Comparative Trademark Law’. Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, September 2020. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108399456.

Case C-490/19 Syndicat Interprofessionnel Du Fromage Vin Salaparuta, ECLI: EU-C.-341 (Court of Justice of the European Union 2025). 2025.

Case No. 4470263956 (Saudi Commercial Court AH 1444). 2020.

Civil Section 1, Ord, No. 10350/2024 (Corte Suprema di Cassazione). Accessed 13 March 2026. https://www.cortedicassazione.it/it/prima_sezione_civile.page. 17 APRIL 2024.

Dirkareshza, Rianda, and Anni Alvionita Simanjuntak. ‘Comparative Study of State Jurisdiction: The Protection Towards Geographical Indication at Indonesia, the EU and US’. Audito Comparative Law Journal (ACLJ) 4, no. 2 (May 2023): 96–107. https://doi.org/10.22219/aclj.v4i2.26434.

Enrico, Bonadio, and Weissenberger Natalie. ‘Can Pringles Use the Name Prosecco on Their Packages? Some Reflections on Why Such Use Might Be Lawful’. Kluwer Trademark Blog, 24 October 2019. https://legalblogs.wolterskluwer.com/trademark-blog/can-pringles-use-the-name-prosecco-on-their-packages-some-reflections-on-why-such-use-might-be-lawful/.

EUIPO. Indicazioni Di Geografiche e Denominazioni Di Origine Protette, Banca Dati EUIPO. 2020. https://www.sib.it/en/flash-news/italiano-indicazioni-geografiche-e-denominazioni-di-origine-la-nuova-banca-dati-euipo/.

‘EUR-Lex - 62016TJ0828 - EN - EUR-Lex’. Accessed 16 March 2026. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:62016TJ0828.

Fontaine, Benjamin, and Stefan Martin. Limitation Theory after the General Court’s Nero Champagne Judgment: Survival in a Weakened Form—from Immunity to Presumption. 2025. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpaf070.

Hammadi, Ibrahem Ali, Salman Ali Humadi, Husham Hamed, Sameer Aboud Farhan, and Kamil Sulaiman. ‘Compensation for Loss of Opportunity in Electronic Transactions: A Comparative Analytical Study in Light of Contemporary Digital Developments’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 5, no. 2 (July 2026): 966–991. https://doi.org/10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.324.

Hari, Ananthu S. ‘Geographical Indications and Community Empowerment in Asia: Navigating International Legal, Institutional and Trade Asymmetries’. International Social Science Journal, ahead of print, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.70038.

‘Interprofession du gruyere v. Dairy export council (2023) | FindLaw’. 2023. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-4th-circuit/2191786.html.

Ismawati, and Suud Sarim Karimullah. ‘Consumer Protection in the Digital Era: An Analysis of Consumer Protection in E-Commerce’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 3, no. 02 (December 2024): 68–80. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17376951.

Jumambetov Rasul, Jengisbaevich. ‘Legal Protection of Geographical Indications’. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, 13 December 2025.

Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and Their International Registration (1958). https://www.wipo.int/en/web/treaties/registration/lisbon/index.

Mahmod, Tarek El Sayed, Khalid awad hammadi Al –Alwani, Ismael Hellawss, Mahmood Shaker Alaloosh, and Salah Ragab Fathelbab. ‘Regulatory Gaps in Digital Witness Protection for Cybercrime: Integrating International Standards, Egyptian Law, and Islamic Jurisprudence’. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam 11, no. 1 (April 2026): 158–192. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v11i1.16326.

‘Marque et nom commercial : primauté du principe de spécialité sur l’antériorité du nom commercial (CA. com. Casablanca 2018)’. Jurisprudence, 2018. https://www.jurisprudence.ma/decision/marque-et-nom-commercial-primaute-du-principe-de-specialite-sur-lanteriorite-du-nom-commercial-ca-com-casablanca-2018/.

Mujib, Abdul. ‘The Failure of Indonesian E-Commerce Law in Adapting to Digital Economy’. Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan 25, no. 2 (December 2025): 213–230. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v25i2.213-230.

Mwakaje, Saudin. ‘Protection of Geographical Indications and Cross‐border Trade: A Survey of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in East Africa’. The Journal of World Intellectual Property 25, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1111/jwip.12204.

Nasyiah, Iffaty, Ramadhita Ramadhita, and Khoirul Hidayah. ‘The Protection of Local Handicrafts Through the Geographical Indication by The Regional Government in East Java, Indonesia’. Jurisdictie: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syariah 13, no. 2 (2022): 162–187. https://doi.org/10.18860/j.v13i2.18265.

Ndunguru, Adrian F., and Elia Mwanga. ‘Institutional Framework for Protection of Geographical Indications in Tanzania: Examining the Challenges and Way Forward towards Effective Protection of Geographical Indications in the Country’. International Journal of Business, Management and Economics 4, no. 1 (2023): 73–87. https://doi.org/10.47747/ijbme.v4i1.1080.

Nurani, Nina, Apriwandi Apriwandi, and Hafied Noor Bagja. ‘Intellectual Property Rights Law Reform Based on Maqāṣid Al-Sharī‘ah as a Model for Green Business-Based Creative Industry Protection to Support Sustainable Development’. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah 18, no. 1 (February 2026): 1–32. https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v18i1.40840.

Parsinezhad, Zeinab, and hadi Naeimi. ‘Legal Protection of Geographical Indications and the Vacuum of International Agreements in Iranian Law’. Passagens Revista Internacional de História Política e Cultura Jurídica 14, no. 3 (October 2022): 518–530. https://doi.org/10.15175/1984-2503-202214307.

Regarding Confusion and Ambiguity in Geographical Indication Marks., No. 4567 of 89 (he Egyptian Court of Cassation). January 2023.

‘Regulation - EU - 2024/1143 - EN - EUR-Lex’. 2024. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content.

Reuters. ‘U.S. Court Says French, Swiss Groups Cannot Restrict “gruyere” Cheese Label’. Usa, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-court-says-french-swiss-groups-cannot-restrict-gruyere-cheese-label-2023-03-03/.

Rohid, Nibrosu, Rahma Sugihartati, Bagong Suyanto, Oleksandr Gotin, Nabrisi Rohid, and Sukisno. ‘Reconstructing the Legal Enforcement Framework for Digital Activism in an Era of Technological Disruption’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 5, no. 2 (July 2026): 881–901. https://doi.org/10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.236.

Samiha, Qalyubi. Industrial Property. 10th edn. Cairo, Egypt: Dar Al-Nahda Al-Arabiya, 2016. https://www.daralnahda.com/book/33305/الملكية-الصناعية.

Saputro, Triyono Adi, Isman, Diana Setiawati, Azhar Alam, and Nur Rizqi Febriandika. ‘Geographical Indications and Maqāṣid Al-Sharī‘ah: Realizing Intellectual Property as an Instrument of Economic Justice’. Al-Muamalat 12, no. 2 (November 2025): 339–358. https://doi.org/10.15575/am.v12i2.51236.

Saputro, Triyono Adi, Ismail Rumadan, Pujiyono Suwadi, Emmy Latifah, and Muhammad Syaiful. ‘The Urgency of Using Al-Milk an-Naqiṣ in Geographical Indications: An Ideal Preservation for Intellectual Property in Indonesia’. JURIS (Jurnal Ilmiah Syariah) 23, no. 2 (September 2024): 269–279. https://doi.org/10.31958/juris.v23i2.12227.

Semida, Salah Eldin Ragab, Zeyad Tareq Al-Rawe, Sarmad Dalaf Hanoosh, Tarek El-Sayed Mahmoud Abu Aqil, and Mahmood Shaker Alaloosh. ‘From Remedial to Preventive Justice: A Contemporary Reframing of Civil Liability in Islamic and Comparative Law’. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review 5, no. 1 (May 2026): 722–752. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v5i1.13126.

Shakar, Rana Saad, Samah Riyadh Najim, Jassim Kadhi Kabrch, and Maryna Turchyn. ‘Integration of Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property Rights within Global and Islamic Legal Frameworks’. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam 9, no. 1 (May 2024): 375–394. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v9i1.11269.

Tay Pek, San. ‘Legal Protection of Geographical Indications as a Means to Foster Social and Economic Development in Malaysia (Chapter 12) -’. In Geographical Indications at the Crossroads of Trade, Development, and Culture, 281-304, Cambridge University Press, 2017. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/geographical-indications-at-the-crossroads-of-trade-development-and-culture/legal-protection-of-geographical-indications-as-a-means-to-foster-social-and-economic-development-in-malaysia/E1794720BCC4F635287676DC55E3AFDC.

‘The Darjeeling Distinction: Labor and Justice on Fair-Trade Tea Plantations in India 9780520957602 - DOKUMEN.PUB’. 2025. https://dokumen.pub/the-darjeeling-distinction-labor-and-justice-on-fair-trade-tea-plantations-in-india-9780520957602.html.

Velli, Federica, and Luca Pantaleo. ‘The Protection of GIs in EU Bilateral Instruments: Some Reflection in Light of the EU-MERCOSUR Trade Deal’. European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration 2022 7, no. 3 (2023): 14711487. Text/html,PDF. https://doi.org/10.15166/2499-8249/627.

wipo. ‘Geographical Indications’. geographical-indications, 2022. https://www.wipo.int/en/web/geographical-indications.

Zappalaglio, Andrea. ‘Anatomy of Traditional Specialities Guaranteed: Analysis of the Functioning, Limitations and (Possible) Future of the Forgotten EU Quality Scheme’. GRUR International 71, no. 12 (2022): 1147–1161. https://doi.org/10.1093/grurint/ikac091.

No. 24-2719 (United States Court of Appeals For The Ninth Circuit). https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/07/15/24-2719.pdf. 2025.