IPTango

Monday, 12 January 2009

MAC POLLO safe from risk of confusion

Jeremy January 12, 2009 No comments:

A decision of the Colombian Trademark Office last September allowed the registration of the MAC POLLO word and figurative mark for products in Class 29, in the face of an opposition by McDonald’s Corporation based on its previously registered trade marks. The opposition was based on the opponent's earlier MCDONALD’S, RONALD MACDONALD and MCRIB word marks, and on the word and figurative mark MCDONALD’S.

According to the Office the MAC POLLO mark was not strongly similar to any of the McDonald’s marks to the extent that could lead to consumer confusion. Although all the compared marks contained the prefixes MAC- or MC-, those prefixes were used in various Scottish surnames, for which reason they were very well known by the consuming public. The POLLO element of the applicant's mark, together with the various elements of the McDonald's marks that were not found in the applicant's mark, removed the likelihood of confusion.

Source: Luz Helena Adarve (Cárdenas & Cárdenas Abogados, Bogotá), writing in the INTA Bulletin, Vol. 64, No. 1, 1 January 2009

Uncertainty over patents casts a shadow over Brazil pharma sector

Jeremy January 05, 2009 No comments:

PR-Inside brings news of the most recent Companies and Markets report on the pharmaceutical market in Brazil. According to this report, the wider economy’s resilience to the current world economic crisis means that the market is still expected to achieve robust of 15.5% growth in 2008, following 21.4% growth in 2007. Increased government spending on medicines (particularly vaccines) and the continued growth of the generics market are expected to contribute to an average five-year growth rate of 9.7% in US dollar terms (7.1% in local currency terms) to 2012, when the market is expected to reach a value of US$26.6bn. The report addresses IP rights too:

"Perhaps the greatest challenge for the Brazilian pharmaceutical market remains uncertainty over patents.

In September 2008, the Brazilian Patent Office rejected a patent application by Gilead Sciences for its antiretroviral (ARV) Viread (tenofovir). Back in April, the government had declared Viread to be ´of public interest´. The application was also the focus of NGO opposition. The Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (AIBA) and an Indian patient advocacy group have opposed the company’s patent application for the drug in India. Another potential threat is a warning by the Brazilian government that it would break the patents of US companies in retaliation for the US refusing to adhere to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling on cotton subsidies".

WorldLeader 2008 awards

Jeremy December 31, 2008 No comments:

IPWorld.com has published a handsome brochure to commemorate its WorldLeaders International IP Awards 2008. According to this brochure, which has been distributed with the latest issues of Copyright World, Trademark World and Patent World, the Latin American/Caribbean sectional winners are as follows:

* In-house trade mark management: National Federation of Coffee Growers (Colombia).

* Excellence in trade mark practice/litigation in private practice: Ricardo Alberto Antequera (Estudio Antequera Parilli & Rodriguez, Venezuela).

* Excellence in patent practice/litigation in private practice: Javier Uhthoff-Orive (Uhthoff, Gomez Vega & Uhthoff, Mexico)

* Law firm of the year: OMC Abogados & Consultores (Peru).

Costa Rica signs up to the UPOV Convention

Jeremy December 29, 2008 No comments:

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization press release UPOV Notification No. 107 the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, on 12 December 2008, deposited its instrument of accession to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants of December 2, 1961, as revised at Geneva on November 10, 1972, on October 23, 1978, and on March 19, 1991. The UPOV Convention will enter into force, with respect to Costa Rica, on 12 January 2009.

Enforcement of IP rights in Argentina

Jeremy December 22, 2008 No comments:

A short but informative English-language summary of the law and practice on enforcement of IP rights in Argentina has been posted on the Mondaq legal news service. Written by Andres Moncayo Von Hase (Bruchou Fernandez Madero & Lombardi), the article explains the position in Argentina post-TRIPs and concludes that, while there is still much to be done, the country is edging towards a genuine IP culture.

7º Módulo Especial sobre la Marca Comunitaria

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) December 17, 2008 No comments:

El Magister Lvcentinvs nos ha informado de la próxima realización de la 7ª edición del “Módulo Especial sobre la Marca Comunitaria", que tendrá lugar del 9 a 13 de febrero de 2009 en la Universidad de Alicante. Se trata de un curso intensivo y especializado de una semana de duración.

Durante este período los participantes realizarán un estudio detallado del derecho comunitario de marcas, de los procedimientos de registro y concesión. Por otra parte, podrán abordar el análisis de las diferentes estrategias alternativas de registro y de defensa de la marca.

Las clases serán impartidas por algunos de los profesionales más destacados del sector, incluyendo a miembros de la OAMI y académicos y profesionales de la Propiedad Industrial.

Este programa está destinado a agentes, abogados y profesionales en general de la Propiedad Industrial, así como a estudiantes de nivel avanzado (Master o Doctorado). Los participantes compartirán sus actividades académicas con los especialistas y alumnos del Magister provenientes de los países europeos y latinoamericanos.

Las clases serán impartidas en inglés.

Más información:

Mr. Pablo Lee
Magister Lvcentinvs
University of Alicante
Tel: +34 965 90 93 92
Fax: +34 965 90 93 84
http://www.ml.ua.es/site/eng/programa_modulos.asp
ml.modulos@uafg.net

MEXICO: Nueva Sala Regional en Materia de Propiedad Intelectual.

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) December 16, 2008 No comments:

Nuevamente nuestros incansables amigos de ALHEN nos pasan ésta interesante noticia.

El Tribunal Federal de Justicia Fiscal y Administrativa ha modificado su Reglamento Interior, creando una Sala Regional en Materia de Propiedad Intelectual que tendrá competencia en todo el territorio nacional y sede en la Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal.

Esta nueva Sala tendrá competencia material especializada para tramitar y resolver los juicios que se promuevan contra las resoluciones dictadas con fundamento en la Ley de la Propiedad Industrial, en la Ley Federal del Derecho de Autor, en la Ley Federal de Variedades Vegetales, así como en los demás ordenamientos que regulan la materia de Propiedad Intelectual.

Mexico tightens up consent letter practice

Jeremy December 15, 2008 No comments:

IMPI, the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property, has amended its practice with regard to letters of consent, which confirm that the owner of an earlier registered trade mark does not object to the registration and use of an identical or similar mark by a third party. Since there is no express legislation on this practice, IMPI had discretion to determine the parameters of its acceptability. Taking a more restrictive view than formerly, IMPI will now admit a letter of consent only where the trade marks are similar (not identical) and cover different or similar (again, not identical) goods and/or services.

This change seeks to avoid trade mark dilution and to protect the consumer's ability to distinguish goods and services as coming from different sources. Refusal to accept a consent letter is subject to judicial appeal.

Source: Sergio Olivares, Olivares & Cia, Mexico City, writing in World Trademark Review.

Trade Mark Office can't rule on copyright infringement

Jeremy December 11, 2008 No comments:

A Peruvian Administrative Court has declared a resolution of the Trade Mark Office void for having exceeded its legal competence under the law. In February 2007 Enrique Pajuelo Escobar applied to register as a trade mark for building materials for the construction industry (Class 19) a word and design mark LADRILLOS FORTE. Cementos Lima SA opposed, citing its earlier registered trade mark for the letters CL and design, maintaining that this design was protected as a literary work and that the mark applied for was confusingly similar to both its mark and its design. The Copyright Office confirmed to the Trade Mark Office that the Cementín design was protected as a literary work. The latter however rejected Cementos's opposition and allowed registration of LADRILLOS FORTE, rejecting the finding that Escobar's mark was confusingly similar to Cementos's earlier mark or design (regarding the designs, the Trade Mark Office held that there was no infringement either).

The Administrative Court overturned the resolution of the Trade Mark Office, holding that the Copyright Office was the only authority competent to determine whether a specific sign or mark infringed third party copyright. The Trade Mark Office had thus exceeded its competence in comparing Escobar's mark, as it was not empowered to do so under the law.

Source: note by Gonzalo Ferrero Diez Canseco, Lema Solari & Santiváñez, Lima, in World Trademark Review.

It may work in practice -- but does the law protect it?

Jeremy December 10, 2008 No comments:

"Branding by the nose in Brazil", by Ana Paula Palombo Terzi and published here on BrandChannel, is an enjoyable read on the importance of scent and smell in branding -- a field in which Brazi leads the way. She writes (among other things):

"“Big global brands set the trend which spurred scent marketing in Brazil. Brazilian brands, big and small, are now creating their olfactive logo, a scent signature which helps generate brand recall,” explains Elaine De Oliveira, olfactive marketing consultant for Biomist, one of the pioneers of scent marketing in São Paulo, Brazil.

Marcelo Ginzberg from Air Berger, a French consulting firm that established an office in Brazil in June 2008, says, “A wide variety of businesses have been adopting olfactive logos—hotels, spas, medical facilities, pharmacies, gyms, restaurants, banks and supermarkets have capitalized on scent marketing to attract consumers.”

“Our culture is highly sensorial in many aspects,” says Janice Zanatta, olfactive marketing consultant for Good Smell Consultoria in Curitiba, Brazil. “Its colors, rhythms, textures and forms require a great spectrum of scents to express and communicate all this diversity.” Zanatta believes the growing interest in scent marketing in Brazil is a direct reflection of the country’s diverse and complex culture. She cites as an example Les Lis Blanc, a Brazilian fashion brand, with credit for linking its olfactive logo to its consumers’ positive experiences with the brand.

Brazilian baked goods brand Bauducco also strategized with olfactive marketing to appeal to a younger demographic in Brazil. A chocolate fragrance was diffused into movie theaters at the same time they ran a preview commercial for its signature product, the panettone. The campaign was a success".

What this article doesn't discuss is the extent -- if at all -- to which Brazilian law protects a business that uses olfactive logos against competitors who do the same. Perhaps some of IP Tango's readers would like to answer that one! You can post your comment below or email it to Jeremy here.