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Turban legend: Puneri Pagadi may soon get intellectual property tag |
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By: A Correspondent |
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Date:
2009-04-06 |
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Place: Pune |
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The famous headgear 'Puneri Pagadi', a symbol of pride and honour in the Pune region, may get intellectual property rights (IPR) as a local organisation has sought geographical exclusivity.
The Pune-based Shree Puneri Pagadi Sangh has submitted an application before the Geographical Indication
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Headgear: The famous Dagdusheth Ganpati in Pune was adorned with the Pune turban in 2006 | Registry, seeking the GI (geographical indication) tag for the turban.
According to the information available with the official Journal of the Geographical Indication, Sangh has sought GI status for Puneri Pagadi under "Class 25", which deals with clothing, footwear and headgear products.
"We have submitted an application before the Geographical Indication Registry and hope the authorities would soon grant a GI tag for Pagadi," Sangh's representative Great Mission Group Consultancy's (GMGC's) Ganesh Hingmire said.
Pune-based GMGC is a registered firm that aims to promote intellectual property rights, and has filed the application on behalf of Shree Puneri Pagadi Sangh. "We are seeking the GI tag for Puneri Pagadi with an aim to preserve the culture and a significant identity of the city," Hingmire said.
"Further an early IPR protection of Puneri Pagadi will (obviate) the country's past experiences in cases like Basmati rice and turmeric, where we fought to prove that these originated in India," Hingmire added.
Leaders wore it
The application claims that Mahadev Govind Ranade introduced the prevalent "Puneri Pagadi" for the first time in the 19th century. Since then, it has been worn by great leaders and personalities like Lokmanya Tilak, J S Karandikar, Dr D D Sathye, Tatyasaheb Kelkar and Dato Waman Pottdar. "Puneri Pagadi" has now become a matter of heritage, the Sangh claims.
The GI tag aims at promoting the economic prosperity of producers of goods in a geographical area. Usually, the tag is granted to goods that essentially originate and are produced in a defined geographical locality and region. Geographical indications are covered as part of intellectual property rights. The GI tag has been awarded to a number of products or goods, including the famous Darjeeling tea. |
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