Abstract: Geographical indications (GIs) protection significantly enhances the market competitiveness of products and fosters the development of distinctive rural industries. There are distinct differences in the protection and management systems of GIs across countries, with the design concept primarily based on two research branches: the protection of intellectual property rights and the promotion of rural development. This paper systematically reviews the research paradigms of these two research branches and analyzes their compatibility. We find that the fundamental difference between the two branches is not in the modes of protection but in the concepts of protection. The various protection modes within the intellectual property rights branch generally focus on a negative protection concept, while the protection of GIs within the rural development branch places greater emphasis on a positive protection concept. The design of China's system for the protection and management of GIs should not be confined to the debate over protection modes but should pay more attention to the differences in protection concepts and their practical significance. Accordingly, China's system design needs to take into account both protection concepts and establish a multi-departmental collaborative management system for GIs.