"Providing a registration regime for geographical indications will assist the wine industry to protect the reputation of our exported New Zealand wines.
"New Zealand wine exports were just under $100 million in 1998 and this year those exports broke $1.5 billion," says Goldsmith.
The regulations and fees schedule will support the Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act that is currently being amended in a Bill before Parliament.
"The proposed regulations set out the procedure for examination and registration of a geographical indication as well as the process for setting up the Register of Geographical Indications."
The Register of Geographical Indications will be administered by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ).
"The proposed regulations are similar to the process for trade mark registration, and also propose options for a user-pays fees schedule to cover the costs of the new registration system," says Goldsmith.
Interested parties can make submissions on the proposed regulations and fees until July 29, 2016. The consultation document can be found here: http://bit.ly/29sGlDN
