Origin Italia announces that the law authorizing the ratification of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications has been published in the Official Journal.Law no. 13 of 14 January 2026 , approved by the Senate on 7 January, significantly strengthens the protection of Italian GIs.
The multilateral agreement extends protection to Protected Geographical Indications , in addition to Protected Designations of Origin, going beyond the limits of the original Lisbon Agreement.
The protection system , managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO ) and currently composed of 44 contracting parties, will also guarantee protection for non-comparable products, services and various forms of abuse, including usurpation and imitation.
The Geneva Act also provides for the possibility of accession by intergovernmental organizations , thus extending protection to important international markets.
Among these , the European Union and the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) have already joined .
The new system also introduces procedural innovations that make it more accessible, such as the possibility for beneficiaries to apply directly to WIPO , and confirms the principle that internationally registered GIs cannot be considered generic terms in contracting countries.
Italy's accession, already a party to the original Lisbon Agreement, will allow the prior protection of existing PDOs to be preserved.
The Geneva Act not only represents a tool to extend GI protection in many countries, but also sends a clear signal against protectionist policies that threaten the GI system .
These issues were highlighted by Origin Italia's awareness-raising efforts, which emphasized how multilateral and bilateral protection tools are essential to defending Geographical Indications from attempts to undermine the principles that have ensured their global success.
Now we await ratification by the President of the Republic, followed by the treaty's implementation, with MASAF playing a leading role as the competent national authority. (Source: https://www.origin-italia.it/ )