Page 11 - 2017 INTA Annual Report

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
INTERVIEW WITH: José Luis Londoño Chief Representative Officer
QIn interactions
with INTA members and with organizations and government officials in 2017, what have you found to be their biggest concerns related to trademarks and other IP?
QOn May 2, INTA celebrated the opening of the Latin America and the Caribbean Repre- sentative Office, in Santiago, Chile. What has been the significance of this office for INTA members in the region?
APrimarily, our members feel that INTA is more accessible to them from a holistic point of view. Thus, they are more encouraged to collaborate in achieving the Association’s goals according to our strategic plan.
Having a closer geographical, linguistic, and cultural proximity to our members enables us to better understand the needs of current members, opens up opportunities to attract new members, and allows us to further contribute to the Association’s commitment to integration and cooperation in Latin America (LATAM).
The main concern to our
members right now is the brand restriction regulations taking place in different jurisdictions, and the uncertainty such regulations create for all trademark owners.
In addition, counterfeiting is a critical issue in LATAM. We have seen major improvements in some jurisdictions, highly committed officers and entities, and beautiful examples of cooperation between different national and international institutions to deter illicit trade. Government officials have been focused on updating laws and procedures to offer better-quality services and meet international standards and best practices. We have witnessed how active they are in implementing new procedures, IT solutions, training, etc., to keep up with the best offices in the world. However, there is still a lot to be done.
AWe believe several factors have caused this substantial increase. The first one is that IP has gained more relevance within law firms in LATAM, and these firms have been expanding their IP and trademark departments. This has been occurring because the number of companies and entrepreneurs here has been rising; consumers are becoming more demanding as the middle class grows; and trademark applications have increased dramatically. Second, there are more specialized IP attorneys in the region, as new practitioners find this subject appealing because of its close relation with innovation.
In addition, our participation in several events organized by allied associations and the training sessions we have held for trademark and IP examiners, customs officials, and the judiciary throughout the region have further increased our visibility.
A
AINTA’s Changing Landscape of Latin America conference, which took place in Cartagena, Colombia in October, was definitely one of our greatest achievements in 2017. It was our grand debut in the region. With noteworthy topics and speakers, the conference resulted in a great academic forum and a wonderful venue for networking. It also showcased Latin America’s vast number of high-quality companies, which are already competing globally with outstanding success.
Our counterfeit-related training sessions were also timely. These included a post-conference workshop for free trade zone (FTZ) authorities, government officials, and other stakeholders that explored the ongoing threat of counterfeiting in FTZs, and a regional customs training workshop at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Oranjestad, Aruba, led by INTA’s Anticounterfeiting Committee–Latin America and Caribbean Subcommittee. These types of events are fulfilling our priorities to serve as an educational source and to establish working relationships with national and regional IP offices and associations.
QWhat regional events in 2017 were most noteworthy?
QIn addition to the opening of the INTA office, what other factors contributed to a gain of 57 new members in the region between 2016 and 2017?
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