Activities Focus on Counterfeiting and Cooperation - International Trademark Association

In ongoing efforts to fight counterfeiting and to address other intellectual property issues in Latin America, INTA’s Chief Representative Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, stressed the importance of collaboration during a presentation last month in Santiago, Chile and during a meeting with the new Deputy Superintendent of Industrial Property of Colombia in late January.

INTA Calls for Anticounterfeiting Collaboration at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Workshop in Santiago, Chile
José Luis Londoño, INTA’s Chief Representative Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of information sharing and collaboration among various entities to fight counterfeiting, in a presentation on February 26 at the gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Santiago, Chile. Speaking on a panel at Canada’s “Project Chargeback” Workshop, he said the attack must be two pronged: to fight counterfeit trade and to decrease the demand for counterfeits.

The workshop took place during a two-week gathering of trade and sectoral officials from the 21 APEC member economies in Chile, which hosted the 2019 event. At the session, Nicholas Gordon, Deputy Director, Intellectual Property Trade Policy Officer, Global Affairs Canada, presented opening remarks and an introduction to Canada’s Project Chargeback, a collaborative initiative that began in 2012 to reimburse victims of online counterfeiting and piracy.

Mr. Londoño shared the panel with David Lowe, Head of Disputes & Chargebacks at the Toronto-Dominion Bank (Canada); Marco Musumeci, Programme Coordinator at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (Switzerland); and David Lowe, Head of IP Enforcement Capacity Building and Delivery at the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (United Kingdom).

During his presentation, Mr. Londoño stressed that counterfeiting and piracy are significant issues that plague local and international brand owners alike across all industries, and that these crimes not only affect brand owners, but impact public health, local businesses, and government revenue. He noted that INTA, as an international organization, has been tackling these issues on multiple fronts around the world.

In conclusion, he said companies and organizations cannot fight counterfeiting on their own, emphasizing that there should be a team effort between trademark owners and government authorities to overcome this challenge.

INTA Meets with New Deputy Superintendent of Industrial Property of Colombia
INTA representatives met on January 29 with IvÁn Mauricio Pinzón Jiménez, the new Deputy Superintendent for Industrial Property of the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce of Colombia (SIC), in continuation of the Association’s collaborative efforts with the agency. Representing INTA were Mr. Londoño; Tatiana Carrillo, Partner of Lloreda Camacho & Co. (Colombia), and a member of INTA’s Trademark Office Practices Committee; and Nidia Osorio, Area Partner of BBGS Abogados (Colombia), and a member of INTA’s Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee.

During the meeting, the participants talked about general intellectual property (IP) issues in the region. Mr. Pinzon showed interest in working together with INTA and in organizing trainings for local authorities in Colombia. In October 2018, INTA and SIC renewed their memorandum of understanding, which establishes areas of cooperation in the field of IP.

Moreover, Mr. Pinzon was happy to learn that INTA is planning to update its impact study on the economic effects of trademark-intensive industries in Latin America, including Colombia, and he offered his cooperation.

This was an important meeting because it reinforces the existing ties of cooperation and good understanding between INTA and the Colombian authority.

INTA’s Latin America & the Caribbean Representative Office, based in Santiago, Chile, represents the Association’s 821 members across the region. Working in collaboration with staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City, the Latin America & the Caribbean Representative Office leads the Association’s policy, membership, marketing, and communications initiatives throughout this region. To learn more about INTA’s activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, please contact INTA Chief Representative Officer of the Latin America & the Caribbean Office José Luis Londoño at [email protected]..

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of items in the INTA Bulletin, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.