Geographical Indications

Geographical indications are product names linked to a specific geographical region and are therefore part of its cultural heritage. A protected geographical indication shows consumers that the product possesses specific characteristics typical of the region – thereby safeguarding the product’s quality and reputation against fraudulent imitation.

Geographical indications are not the property of individual persons but may be used by all producers in the region who comply with the product description underlying the protection during production (product specification) and agree to submit to the designated control system. 

Geographical Indications are not trademarks

Geographical indications guarantee the geographical origin of a product as well as the specified production method and may be used by all producers in the region to which the name refers, provided they comply with the requirements. In contrast, trademarks allow the product carrying the trademark to be credited to a specific supplier or company. The trademark thus indicates the commercial origin of a product.  

“Geographical collective marks” are a combination of the two.  

At the Austrian Patent Office it is possible to protect the names of foodstuffs and agricultural products as geographical indications and, since December 2025, the names of craft and industrial products. The basic requirement is that the quality, reputation, or other characteristic of the product is attributable to its geographical origin and that at least one of the production steps takes place within the defined geographical area.

The protection is based on the following EU legal standards:

• for foodstuffs – Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 including Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/26 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27
• for craft products – Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 including Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1956 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1955.

Foodstuffs and agricultural products include, for example, goods of animal and plant origin, goods from the food industry, beverages, live animals, and much more. A detailed list of products can be found here (available in German only).

Note: Wines and spirits fall under the jurisdiction of the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture. 

For craft and industrial products, the type of product is not restricted; examples include jewelry, natural stones, textiles, or goods made of glass, porcelain, or wood.

Craft products must be made entirely or predominantly by hand – using hand tools, digital tools, or mechanical aids. The manual contribution must be essential to the final product. Industrial products are standardized – including in mass production – and using machines.

Generally, geographical indications are registered by associations of producers or processors of the respective product. A corresponding application is filed with the Austrian Patent Office, provided that the indication to be protected refers to a geographical region located in Austria.

Note: The information in the application should be coordinated among all persons involved in the production, processing, and manufacture of the product to be protected. Otherwise, objections or the rejection of the application are to be expected during the examination process. 

Applications by individual persons – whether legal entities or natural persons – are permitted only in exceptional cases (see Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 and Article 8(2) of Regulation 2023/2411).

If the applicant association is based in Austria, representation by an attorney-at-law or a patent attorney is not required.

We would be happy to assist you:
For consultations and an initial assessment (see the form for a “preliminary review”), please contact us, if possible, before filing an official application at herkunftsangaben(at)patentamt.at or by phone at +43 1 534 24 – 234 / 347 / 410 / 579.

The application fee for foodstuffs is €605. For each additional application filed simultaneously that relates to the same basic product and processed products derived from it, a fee of €208 applies.

If the application is rejected or withdrawn before it is forwarded to the European Commission or the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office), 50% of the application fee will be refunded. 

The application fees for the craft and industrial sector have not yet been determined.

Note: In addition to the application fees, costs for inspections of the production process will apply. The type, frequency, and amount of these costs are determined by the relevant inspection bodies or authorities.

The core of an application for a geographical indication is what’s known as the “product specification,” which precisely defines how the product is to be manufactured. The most essential details of the product specification must then be summarized in a “single document.”

For detailed information on the application documents, including comprehensive guidance on applying for geographical indications, please refer to our two information sheets 

• Information Sheet – Agriculture (HA101A) 
• Information Sheet – CRAFTS and INDUSTRY (HA101B).

(both available in German only)

We carry out a formal and substantive examination of the documents submitted. If the application meets the requirements, it will be published in electronic form on our website. This publication marks the start of a three-month period during which objections from affected Austrian parties may be submitted. 

Once any potential objections have been resolved, the application is forwarded to the European Commission or the EUIPO, which in turn conducts an examination and publishes the application at the EU level to allow interested parties from other Member States to file oppositions. If the application is also granted at the EU level, it is published in the Official Journal of the EU or in the Union Register, and the protection takes effect throughout the entire EU.

For more detailed information, such as who is entitled to file an opposition and the possible grounds for opposition, please refer to our information sheets (available in German only).

For geographical indications in the area of foodstuffs, protection begins upon publication of the registration regulation in the Official Journal of the Union; for craft and industrial products, protection begins upon publication in the Union Register. In both cases, protection is unlimited in duration and valid in all EU Member States.

However, if the product specification of a registered geographical indication is not complied with, or if no product has actually been placed on the market in the last five (Regulation 2023/2411) or seven (Regulation 2024/1143) years, an application for the cancellation of a protected geographical indication may be filed.

You can file such a cancellation request, as well as amendment requests, with the Austrian Patent Office.

For details on amendment and cancellation procedures, including comprehensive guidance on preparing the relevant applications, please refer to our two information sheets (available in German only).