The Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (MoLHR) launched the "Indonesian Geographical Indication Branding Guidelines" during the virtual ceremony organised with support from the EU-funded programme ARISE+ Indonesia, Wednesday (22/09).
The ceremony was marked with the handover of the document by the Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, HE Vincent Piket, to the Director-General of Intellectual Property, Mr Freddy Harris.
The technical guidelines, developed with technical assistance from ARISE+ Indonesia, aims at assisting legitimate GI producers and GI users in applying the Indonesian GI label correctly in line with the Ministry of LHR Regulation No. 29/2013 on the Indonesian GI Logo and Code of Origin.
The Director-General of Intellectual Property, Mr Freddy Harris, stated that GI certification is expected to help promote and boost the regional economy.
"Bali Amed Salt and Gayo Arabica Coffee are among GI Producers who already enjoy the economic benefits of the GI certifications and the use of proper GI labels on the product packaging. The selling price of their products has increased after obtaining the GI certification," Mr Freddy Harris said.
To date, 93 Indonesian GI products and 9 international GI products have been registered in Indonesia.
According to the 2013 Law of Trademarks and Geographical Indications No. 20, a geographical indication (GI) is a sign used to indicate that a product has a specific geographical origin and possesses a certain reputation, characteristics and qualities due to that place of origin. This intellectual property, certified by an appropriate GI label, is an important differentiating factor that adds a premium value to the product.
Indonesian GIs have a great potential to gain premium value-added, yet it is observed that they are not always labelled appropriately on the marketplace. Such omissions are counterproductive to genuine products' added value and deprive them of legal protection against possible infringements. The Indonesian GI Branding Guidelines will thus be an essential instrument to help GI producers and users use the Indonesian GI label and its application appropriately on product packaging and other promotional media with varying formats and sizes.
The Indonesian GI label consists of four vital elements which are the Name of the GI Product, the GI Product Logo, the official Indonesian GI Logo and the Code of Origin of the GI Product. The four elements are required to indicate the authenticity of the GI products. Third parties who wish to use the Indonesian GI label for trading purposes should obtain the consent of the relevant GI producers and register with DGIP. The GI Protection Society (Masyarakat Perlindungan Indikasi Geografis/MPIG) is the Right Owner of each registered GI that consists of communities of GI producers and farmers throughout Indonesia.
On the same occasion, the EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, HE Vincent Piket, said that he is thrilled with the excellent cooperation between the EU and Indonesia to promote Indonesian GIs and that the on-going CEPA negotiations between the two partners may potentially give better market access to Indonesian GIs on the European market and vice versa.
"The development of the Indonesian GI Branding Guidelines is a major step in preparing GI producers in tapping opportunities in the well-developed European GI market," Ambassador Piket said.
Following the ceremony, a webinar on the use of the technical guidelines and GI Label and Branding was held with the contribution of knowledgeable speakers: the DGIP Head Section of GI Assessment Gunawan, Chief of Aku Cinta Makanan Indonesia Santhi Serad, visual communication design specialist Brian Hananto, and local brand activist Arto Biantoro.
As an Indonesian culinary advocate, Santhi Serad said that using GI products as her cooking ingredients added premium value to her food due to the reputation and quality of the GIs.
"GIs carry a special and unique identity that helps promote Indonesia on international markets," Santhi added.
Considering the strategic value of appropriate GI branding in improving the community's economy, Arto Biantoro, the local brand activist, said that the Penta helix collaboration model between the Government, Community, Private Sector, Academia, and Media is vital to promote and protect Indonesian GIs.
The event was virtually attended by government officials from DGIP, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Cooperative and SME, diplomats from the embassies of Italy, Poland and Hungary, representatives of the GI Protection Society (MPIG), Indonesian GI Association (AIGI), Team of National GI Experts, local governments, private sector, brand activists and national universities.
The webinar was also live-streamed on ARISE Plus Indonesia Youtube.
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For further information on how to apply for GI certification or to obtain consent for using Indonesian GI label for trading purposes please contact the Directorate of Trademark and Geographical Indication at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the DGIP website at https://www.dgip.go.id/
