POSLJEDICE REGISTRACIJE SARAJEVSKIH ĆEVAPA KAO OZNAKE GEOGRAFSKOG PORIJEKLA: MOGU LI ĆEVAPI BEZ SOMUNA?
CONSEQUENCES OF REGISTERING SARAJEVO ĆEVAPI AS GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION: CAN ĆEVAPI EXIST WITHOUT SOMUN?

Summary/Abstract: After decades of culinary tradition in the preparation and market success of Sarajevo ćevapi as one of the most recognizable symbols of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s gastronomic offerings, this specialty’s name was officially protected in 2024 through a procedure conducted before the Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In recent years, the Agency has protected the names of many other products, although the law also grants the Institute for Intellectual Property jurisdiction over the registration of geographical indications. The increasing number of registrations and the ambiguity surrounding jurisdictional authority, particularly considering the reputation and significance of Sarajevo ćevapi, necessitate an analysis of the registration process and the selected protection modality, which is the focus of this article. It appears that the chosen modality of protection and the product description adopted by the rights holders do not reflect the authentic identity of Sarajevo ćevapi as rooted in longstanding tradition, in contrast with similar specialties like Banja Luka ćevap. Additionally, the current legislative framework, with overlapping jurisdictions between the Institute for Intellectual Property and the Food Safety Agency regarding the registration of geographical indication for food products, imposes an undue administrative burden on producers and may discourage them from pursuing name protection.

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