The Perception of Origin: Geographical Indications and the Friction Between Property and Heritage
About this Event
1311 Miller Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Professor Erdős will be discussing, "The Perception of Origin: Geographical Indications and the Friction Between Property and Heritage".
Think of names like "Champagne" or "Parmesan" — names tied to a specific place. The law protecting these names (geographical indications, or GIs) might sound like a legal technicality, but it raises big questions: Why should one community get exclusive rights to a place name? And what are we really protecting — a business asset, a local custom, or shared cultural heritage? In the EU, this protection keeps expanding, now covering crafts and manufactured goods alongside wine and food — and it's become a major sticking point in international trade deals. This talk explores that tension, comparing the EU's approach to trademarks, and asks whether GIs are property, cultural preservation tools, or something else entirely. Using real examples from farming, craftsmanship, and global trade, it connects practical legal problems to a deeper question: what does "origin" really mean?
The lecture will be held from 6:00pm-7:00pm, followed by a reception.
