What are the remedies available to the infringement of geographical indications?
The law provides both civil and criminal remedies. Civil remedies include injunctions (Interim and permanent), damages, delivery up of the infringing goods for destruction and forfeiture of the goods that bear false representation of an existing Geographical Indication. The criminal remedies may involve punishment to the offender which can be a minimum mandatory sentence of 6 months imprisonment and maximum of 3 years and the minimum mandatory fine of Rs.50,000/- and a maximum of Rs.2 lakhs. In case of subsequent convictions of the same offence, the minimum mandatory sentence will be one year imprisonment and fine of Rs.2 lakhs.
