Pakistan hails Australian court ruling in Basmati name dispute
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
Pakistan welcomed an Australian federal court decision rejecting India’s appeal for exclusive trademark protection of “Basmati.” The ruling upholds prior findings that Basmati is a shared geographical indication.
Pakistan has secured a favourable outcome in its long-running dispute with India over the use of the Basmati name, after an Australian federal court rejected an appeal seeking exclusive trademark protection for the term.
The Federal Court of Australia dismissed an appeal by India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), while also ordering the authority to pay the respondent’s costs, either as agreed or taxed.
The Ministry of Commerce welcomed the ruling on Wednesday, saying it reinforces Pakistan’s position that Basmati is a geographical indication associated with a historic rice-growing region spanning parts of both countries.
The dispute began when APEDA sought to register “Basmati” as a certification trademark for rice in Australia.
An Australian Registrar of Trade Marks delegate rejected the application on December 22, 2022, concluding that the word could not distinguish APEDA-certified rice from Basmati rice legitimately grown and sold by other traders.
APEDA then took the matter to the Federal Court, challenging the registrar’s decision.
The Commerce Ministry said the original ruling had recognised that Basmati rice is also cultivated in Pakistan and that Pakistani traders have a legitimate right to use the name.
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With APEDA’s appeal now dismissed, those findings have been upheld by the federal court, according to the ministry.
The government said the ruling prevents any single national authority from claiming exclusive ownership of the Basmati name in a way that excludes producers and exporters from the other country.
The decision is expected to protect Pakistani growers, millers and exporters selling Basmati in Australia, while safeguarding their commercial and intellectual-property interests.
Pakistan has repeatedly opposed Indian efforts to obtain exclusive rights over Basmati in overseas markets. The Commerce Ministry said it has coordinated with national institutions and industry stakeholders to defend the country’s interests.
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Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal described the ruling as an important achievement for Pakistan’s agricultural heritage, commercial interests and export identity.
The ministry said it would continue seeking protection for Basmati in international jurisdictions, relying on its historical origin, established reputation and distinctive characteristics.
Reference Link:- https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/08/12/pakistan-hails-australian-court-ruling-in-basmati-name-dispute
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
