Part 3: IP tools - Individual trade marks
Trade marks
As discussed previously, origin-linked products can be protected by trade mark law. In practice, registration of a word mark with a geographical name may be difficult to secure and sometimes not accepted under some legal frameworks. The following will elaborate further on the different types of tools which can be used under a trade mark system. Please, bear in mind that the detailed requirements of registration and scope of protection might differ across jurisdictions.
Individual trade marks
Individual trade marks are often used by single producers to distinguish their products from those of other producers trading the same product in the market. Individual trade marks are often used in combination with other collective IP tools such as GIs or collective/certification marks. For example, Montserrat Hills Trinidad and Tobago is a protected PGI owned by the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers Co-operative Society Limited. Branded chocolate products on the market bears both the trade mark of the Cooperative and the “Montserrat Hills” PGI logo.