Geographical Indications and the Trade Related Property Rights Agreement: A Case Study of Basmati Rice Exports

The recent controversy over the granting of patenting rights to three new strains of Basmati rice by the US Patent and Trademark Office is used as a case study to analyze the impact of incomplete protection of intellectual property. Results suggest that there is evidence that the introduction of a competing product that may infringe on India's geographical indicator has harmed Indian producers in key export markets.