The Hindu : Karnataka News : Creating brand images for crafts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Creating brand images for crafts

R. Krishna Kumar

Five crafts of the State have been identified for seeking patent

Exquisite art: Creating a brand image for crafts, such as wood inlay work, through GIR will help the artisans.

MYSORE: French wine and Swiss watches have a distinctive ring to them. For, the products are synonymous with the geography of a region and have a brand image with an instant recall value that lends itself to easy marketing. The imitators do not have it easy.

And taking a cue from the prevailing global trends, the authorities have identified five crafts of the State for seeking patent that will confer legal protection to curb their unauthorised manufacture and check fake imitations to help safeguard the artisans engaged in their production.

Mysore Paintings, Mysore wood inlay works, Bidriware of Bidar, Kasuti of Dharwad and Kinhal woodcrafts of Koppa region have been identified for registration under the Geographical Indications Registry, which provides for protection of goods produced in these regions.

Disclosing this, S.C. Devaramani, Assistant Director, Handicrafts Marketing and Service Extension Centre, Ministry of Textiles, told The Hindu that the Union Government has established the Geographical Indications Registry under a law which identifies the geographical origin of a product with special quality or reputation unique to the region derived from either climatic conditions or the historical traditions associated with the region.

Examples of such geographical indications in India include the Darjeeling Tea, Nagpur Oranges, Kolhapuri Chappals, Kanchipuram Silks, Mysore Silk and Basmati Rice.

The Handicrafts Development Corporation has identified these crafts from the State in the first phase, and applications are being processed to accord them legal protection. Mr. Devaramani pointed out that the wood inlay works were a speciality of artisans in the Mysore region and were in great demand all over the world. But cheap imitations from other centres could harm the local artisans and kill the novelty of the goods if there were no curbs and the designs not registered. Such registrations will help create a brand image for regional specialities and enhance their reputation in the market and help the artisans, he added.

Regional specialities have so far remained protected but in the era of globalisation it is necessary to protect and create brands for local specialities that have flourished for centuries. Not complying with registration will have a negative effect. A case in point is the Darjeeling Tea. Mr. Devaramani pointed out that though Darjeeling Tea has an international trade worth Rs. 10,000 crores, India's share in it is a mere Rs. 300 crores as fake Darjeeling Tea from other countries have flooded the market. Basmati Rice would have suffered a similar fate but for India waging a protracted legal battle and regaining control over it, he added.

Applications have been sent for registration through Cauvery, the State handicrafts emporium and board, and a few more crafts are likely to be considered for legal protection under the Geographical Indications Registry.

Officials say the other geographical indication products that could be patented are Kodapally toys, Cashmere Shawls, Goa Fenny, and Solapur Fabric among others. Creating brand images for regional specialities is a new concept only in India but have existed in the developed worlds for centuries; for instance Havana Cigars and French wine. And next it could be Mysore Paintings and Kolhapuri Chappals.

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