An Overview of Afghanistan's Geographical Indications Protection System

Abstract

Geographical indications are labels used to identify goods or products that originate from a specific place, possess distinctive qualities and have a reputation associated with those characteristics. Afghanistan possesses valuable products such as agricultural, industrial, and handicraft resources that require protection due to its distinctive geography. Therefore, Afghanistan needs to standardize its established legal framework that regulates the recognition and protection of products as geographical indications both domestically and internationally. Since 2015, Afghanistan has implemented a specialized model for geographical indications. A suitable system for the protection of geographical indications in Afghanistan can be beneficial for promoting exchanges and cooperation between Afghanistan and international markets. it can help Afghanistan’s economic growth, avoid misuse of the products, and conversely develop the quality of the products. This study adopts a comprehensive approach to evaluate Afghanistan's current geographical indication protection system. A thorough review of existing laws and related articles, as well as an examination of Afghanistan's legal documents on geographical indications, including the Geographical Indications Law and Regulation, Trademark Registration Law, etc. This involves analyzing the definition of geographical indication, application for registration, review procedures, objections, and cancellation criteria outlined in these documents.