Tiruvannamalai district to focus on GI tag, appoints IPR attorney

CHENNAI: In a pioneering effort, Tiruvannamalai district administration has appointed an intellectual property rights (IPR) attorney to identify eligible goods and products in the district and apply for geographical indication (GI) tag for them.
The then district collector, K S Kandasamy, named advocate and IPR Attorneys Association president P Sanjai Gandhi as GI attorney for Tiruvannamalai district.
“You are directed to identify such eligible goods from agriculture, horticulture, handloom, handicraft, natural food, manufactured food and such other unique food items,” said the appointment order.
The collector also called upon all departments in the district to render cooperation to Sanjay Gandhi so as to enable him to gather information and guidance from officials for the welfare of the district in respect to Geographical Indication (GI) registration.
Sanjai Gandhi has so far obtained GI tags for 25 items, including Kanjeevaram silk saris, Thanjavur paintings, Thanjavur veenai, Nachiarkoil kuthuvilakku and Dindigul lock. He has obtained intellectual property registrations for 64 products in patent, copyrights, GI and trademark areas.