India won a major trade victory recently when the statutory Trademark Administrative Committee in Greece rejected the trademarks filed by a US company Rice Tec Inc on rice varieties claimed to be similar to the basmati varieties grown here. The decision will strengthen the position of Indian farmers and rice exporters who had to contend with foreign firms trying to introduce clones of basmati rice in the international rice market. India is now planning to file a similar lawsuit against a firm which has applied for registration of the trademark basmalli in Thailand.
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