Oct. 16 – The Indian government’s application for a geographical indication mark for Darjeeling Tea is coming to a close, with the European Commission expected to recognize it within the next six months.

Geographical indication marks are a type of intellectual property mark that recognizes a specific region only as the name for a particular product. Champagne, Napa Valley and Roquefort Cheese are just three examples. The goods should be from a defined geographical region and possess distinct qualities linked to that area.

Currently, statistics demonstrate that about 70 percent of all tea sold as Darjeeling does not in fact originate from the area. The granting of the mark will ensure that tea falsely claiming the Darjeeling name cannot be sold within the EU.