INTA Delegations Champion the Value of Trademarks in Latin America

INTA President David Lossignol (Novartis Pharma AG, Switzerland), INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo, and Chief Representative Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean José Luis Londoño, participated in the XXI Work Session and Administrative Council of the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property in Lima, Peru, from October 26 to October 30.

The delegation also met with Ivo Gagliuffi, Director General of the Peruvian National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI). During the meeting, INTA and INDECOPI signed the renewal of their memorandum of understanding, recognizing the need to strengthen the formulation of public policy in the field of trademarks and related areas, and to develop policies that incorporate trademarks as essential elements in support of economic development, as well as future cooperation between INDECOPI and INTA.

INTA representatives met with Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Property President DÁmaso Pardo and Paraguay’s National Director of the National Direction of Intellectual Property Joel Talavera on October 29. The delegation also held a meeting with Secretary General of the Andean Community Jorge Hernando Pedraza.

Mr. Lossignol, together with INTA members Adriana Barrera (BARLAW – Barrera & Asociados, Peru), María Inés Herrera (BARLAW – Barrera & Asociados, Peru), Daniela Rojas (PirkeyBarber PLLC, USA), and Erick Castillo (Uhthoff, Gomez Vega & Uhthoff, S.C., Mexico) on October 30 conducted two Unreal Campaign presentations in Lima, Peru, to educate 300 students about the value of trademarks and brands and the dangers of counterfeit products.

President Lossignol also participated in a panel discussion titled “Nutrition, Health, Labeling and Trademarks: How to reach a balance equation?” Panelists discussed the existing status of mandatory labeling regulations in various markets, such as the food and pharmaceutical industries. The discussion also touched on how to achieve a proper balance between mandatory warnings and intellectual property (IP) rights and industry concerns, as well as proposals for self-regulation.

IP Seminar in São Paulo, Brazil

The National Confederation of Industry, the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), and the World Intellectual Property Organization, on November 5, hosted a seminar on the following topics: IP strategies; Brazilian copyright and industrial creations; IP as an object of negotiation in international agreements; and the results of recent INPI initiatives.

INTA Board Member Elisabeth Kasznar (Kasznar Leonardos Intellectual Property, Brazil) represented INTA in the first panel titled “National IP Strategy,” which centered on national IP strategies elaborated and implemented in Latin America.

Ms. Kasznar stressed the importance of countries to have an explicit IP strategy and explained that INTA is engaged in initiatives to encourage national IP strategies in the region. She also noted that INTA’s Latin American Global Advisory Council, in 2018, gathered information regarding the IP strategies and policies of 15 countries in the region. The Council compared the IP strategies of the various countries and examined policies promoting the value of trademarks and brands and reinforcing consumer trust.

Roundtable in Costa Rica

INTA’s Famous and Well-Know Marks Committee, through its members Mariana Vargas (Arias Law, Costa Rica) and Monserrat Alfaro (Legal Print, Costa Rica), in collaboration with the Costa Rican Industrial Property Registry, hosted a roundtable on November 12, in San José, Costa Rica. The event focused on the analysis of evidence to determine the famous and well-known character of trademarks in several Latin American countries.

Panelists included Nidia Osorio (Nidia Osorio & Co., Colombia), Mariel Vélez de Castro (Calderón y de la Sierra Cia S.C., Mexico), Mauro Ivan C. R. dos Santos (Dannemann, Siemsen, Brazil), Álvaro Valverde Mora (Industrial Property Registry, Costa Rica), and Mr. Londoño. Speakers discussed the various documents and formalities required in each country to prove the famous and well-known character of a trademark.

Unreal Campaign Partnership with COMEDUC

INTA’s Unreal Campaign, which educates young consumers about the importance of trademarks and brands, and the dangers of counterfeit products, continued its mission in partnership with the National Trade Foundation for Education (COMEDUC). INTA members Ignacia Leria (Mackenna, IrarrÁzaval, Cuchacovich & Paz, Chile), Paulina Maturana (Mackenna, IrarrÁzaval, Cuchacovich & Paz, Chile), and Gabriela Wildner (Clarke, Modet & Co Chile, Chile) gave four presentations in the Chilean cities of Curicó and San Fernando, extending the Campaign’s outreach to an additional 470 students. Together, during 2019, volunteers gave 56 presentations in 19 schools to more than 3,000 students.

INTA extends its thanks for the continuous support of its Chilean corporate members Alessandri; Andes IP; Beuchat, Barros & Pfenniger; Carey, Clarke, Modet & Co Chile; Claro y Cia.; Concha y Toro; CMS Carey & Allende, Cooper & Cia.; Guerrero Olivos; Mackenna, IrarrÁzaval, Cuchacovich & Paz; Puga IP; and Silva.

INTA’s Latin America and the Caribbean Representative Office, based in Santiago, Chile, represents the Association’s 716 members across the region. Working in collaboration with staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City, the Latin America and 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 and 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.