New Delhi, Jan 13 (KNN) Ministry of Textiles has received complaints from various handloom associations/unions that duplicate versions of their famous Geographical Indications (GI) registered handloom products are being manufactured by the mechanized sector of the textiles and are sold in the market by some textile marketing companies in the names of G.I. registered handloom products, Ministry of Textiles has said.
 
“This is hampering the niche market of these handloom products affecting their goodwill adversely and shrinking their market value due to encroachment on their registered geographical indications,” the Ministry added. 
 
The Ministry said that the registered users of G.I. registered products have rights under the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection), Act, 1999 to approach respective police authorities to safeguard their interests against such illegal manufacturing/marketing of G.I. registered handloom products. 

As many as 48 important and traditional handloom products are registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection), Act, 1999. 

The Ministry said that the authorized officers of the central and state governments are instructed from time to time to pay special attention to the complaints on faking of G.I. registered handlooms products. 

Recently, an FIR was filed on December 17, 2015 in the Pochampally Police Station, Telangana by the authorized users of the G.I. registered handloom products of pochampally ikat sarees against the sellers/manufacturers for selling/manufacturing duplicate G.I. registered product. (With PIB Inputs)