Like many countries, Singapore recognizes that geographical indications can identify the source of certain products. See the Geographical Indications Act (Cap 117B) of the Singapore Statutes. Before the Act became law, I recall having to advise on whether geographical indicia were enforceable in Singapore. At that time, there was on-going litigation in England and Australia. When the dust settled, it was clear that French winemakers had won the day. It was a novel argument at the time and it worked with great success.
Over the weekend, I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal where Savile Row tailors were arguing that “Savile Row” as a street is in itself a geographical indicia of high quality suits. Not only that, the tailors were also attempting to limit the use of the word “bespoke” to custom hand tailored suits and not ready-to-wear suits. Clearly, the liberal use of the “Savile Row” and “bespoke” is diluting the value of these craftsmen.
After reading the article, I have some sympathy for the Savile Row tailors. It is interesting to see whether a geographical indicia can get down to the street level of locale.
No comments:
Post a Comment