Etikoppaka toys from Andhra Pradesh get GI tag

The Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) has given Geographical Indication (GI) tag traditional Etikoppaka toys (Etikoppaka Bommalu) from Andhra Pradesh. These traditional toys are made by artisans in Etikoppaka village located on banks of river Varaha in Visakhapatnam district of the state.
With this, Etikoppaka toys join elite products from Andhra Pradesh such as Kondapalli toys, Tirupati laddu, Bobbili Veena, Srikalahasthi Kalamkari, Uppada Jamdani sarees and Shadow puppets to have coveted GI tag.

Etikoppaka toys

The art of making traditional wooden Etikoppaka toys is more than 400 years old and it has been traditionally handed over to them by their ancestors through generations. The art of this toy making is also known as turned wood Lacquer craft.
The toys are unique in shape and form. They are made of wood and painted with natural dyes.  The wood used is from ‘Ankudi Karra’ (Wrightia tinctoria) tree that is soft in nature. The natural dyes are prepared from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves. These dynes are unique as they do not have heavy metal or toxic content in it.

Geographical Indication (GI)

The Geographical Indication (GI) is name or sign used on certain products which correspond to specific geographical location or origin. It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods having special quality and established reputation.
These goods and products having tag are recognised for their origin, quality and reputation and gives it required edge in the global market. It also ensures that none can use their name, giving them exclusivity. The registration of a GI is valid for 10 years after which it needs to be renewed.
GI is covered as element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property. At international level, GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
In India, GI tag is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999. This Act is administered by Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also Registrar of Geographical Indications.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017