The Indian government has attempted to trademark the term 'Basmati' in New Zealand, arguing for exclusive rights due to the rice grain's historical associations with the country.
The long, slender-grained aromatic rice is traditionally grown in the Indian subcontinent, with India currently being the world's largest producer of basmati rice.
However, the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand has ruled that it's not exclusive to India, and they've lost their bid for exclusive trademark rights.
It's one of the latest foods to undergo a similar trademark battle, following EU free trade agreement naming protections placed on Greek 'feta' cheese and Italian 'prosecco' wine - and New Zealand's own failed bid to protect 'mānuka' honey.
Rebecca Jones is a trademark attorney at LegalVision and she joins Emile Donovan to explain.
Photo: 123RF
