118. The representative of Japan said that after the explanations given by the EC he understood the need for further technical discussions. He asked whether the notified GI would be granted an automatic rebuttable presumption, in other words whether a Member would have to presume that a foreign GI would have some legal effect on its own territory and that that Member would have to bear the burden of the rebuttal of that presumption. This would be a significant legal effect which was difficult to be accepted by many Members. As mentioned by other co-sponsors, the joint proposal did not propose a database which would simply collect information but a system with legal consequences, which would add value.
