IPTango

Monday, 19 January 2009

Arca secures Coke franchise

Jeremy January 19, 2009 No comments:

Since Coca-Cola regularly tops the world's "most valuable brand" lists each year, anything that happens to this valuable package of IP rights is newsworthy. IP Tango has just spotted that, right at the end of 2008, it was announced that Embotelladoras Arca, S.A.B. de C.V., the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Mexico and Latin America, had acquired a Coca-Cola franchise in the northwestern region of Argentina.

Arca currently operates in the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucuman, serving a population of nearly 5 million. Its 2008 sales are expected to amount to approximately 85 million unit cases. The new franchise is expected to bring this up to more than 120 million unit cases, representing 24% of the sales volume of Coca-Cola branded products in Argentina, and serving a population of 9 million people.

MEXICO: Inicio de funciones del Tribunal Antipiratería

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) January 15, 2009 No comments:

El primer tribunal mexicano especializado en casos de propiedad intelectual ya está funcionando, y menos mal, pues antes de abrir sus oficinas hace unos días ya tenía encima casi 2.600 asuntos pendientes.

Como adelantamos en IP tango, se trata de la nueva Sala Regional en materia de Propiedad Intelectual del Tribunal Federal de Justicia Fiscal y Administrativa (TFJFA).

Integrada por tres magistradas, la sala comenzó sus funciones asumiendo todos los expedientes que ya estaban en trámite ante las 41 salas del TFJFA a nivel nacional. Son 2.576 juicios promovidos para impugnar decisiones de los institutos de Propiedad Industrial y Derecho de Autor sobre registro y vigencia de marcas, patentes, diseños y procesos industriales, denominaciones de origen, obras artísticas y literarias y sus regalías, sí como sanciones derivadas de estas materias. También hay algunos casos sobre el registro de nuevas variedades vegetales obtenidas por mejoras científicas.

El litigio más viejo data de 2001.

Dos noticias desde Chile

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez January 13, 2009 No comments:

Gracias a Rodrigo Ramirez, en IP-Tango hemos conocido la noticia de la dimisión del presidente de la sociedad general de autores chilena, Fernando Ubiergo, y de su director general, Sebastian Schuster. Todo ello debido a que se ha descubierto que utilizó software pirateado en una conferencia. Según informa "El País", durante la charla en la ciudad de Antofagasta, en el norte de Chile, Ubiergo disertó hace unos días sobre un proyecto de Ley del Derecho de Autor y al abrir su presentación en Power Point apareció en pantalla la frase: "esta copia de Power Point no es original".
Asimismo, también gracias a Rodrigo hemos sabido que el 2 de enero comenzó a funcionar oficialmente el Instituto Nacional de propiedad Industrial que reemplaza al anterior Departamento de Propiedad Industrial.

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.