121. The representative of the United States stressed that the purpose of the multilateral system was not to create new substantive obligations under the TRIPS Agreement. The system under the joint proposal went further than simply compiling information from national systems. Members choosing to participate in the system would refer to the WTO registrations when making decisions regarding GIs. Those decisions would, however, be based on Members' national laws. In other words, the fact that a particular GI was registered in the register would not automatically obligate a Member to protect that GI, if it was not entitled to such protection under that Member's TRIPS consistent national law because of the exceptions under Article 24 or other impediments.
