Delhi High Court Allows Dual GI for “PISCO”; Both Peru and Chile Can Claim Rights

The Delhi High Court has held that both Peru and Chile can claim Geographical Indication (GI) rights over “PISCO,” a grape-based alcoholic beverage traditionally produced in both countries.

The decision came in a petition by Chile challenging a 2018 Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) order that had granted Peru exclusive GI rights over “PISCO” in India.

Justice Mini Pushkarna set aside that order, directing the GI Registry to modify Peru’s registration to “Peruvian PISCO” and to process Chile’s pending application for “Chilean PISCO.”

The Court recognized both variants as distinct and held that homonymous GIs are permissible under Indian law and the TRIPS Agreement, with clear geographic qualifiers.