IPTango

Friday, 6 March 2009

Perú se adhiere al PCT / Peru joins PCT

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez March 06, 2009 No comments:

Gracias a Nestor Morera (de Morera Abogados, Costa Rica) hemos sabido que Peru se ha convertido en el 141 Estado parte del Tratado sobre cooperación en materia de patentes (PCT). Perú depositó su documento de adhesión el 6 de marzo de 2009 y el PCT entrará en vigor para este Estado el 6 de junio de 2009. Asimismo, debe recordase que Chile también depositó su instrumento de adhesión que, como ya informamos en IP Tango, había sido aprobado por el senado en octubre de 2008.

Vanilla appellation given protection in Mexico

Jeremy March 06, 2009 No comments:

Earlier this week the Mexican Official Gazette published a declaration of protection for the Appellation of Origin Vainilla de Papantla for a “mature fruit derived from the orchid Vanilla planifolia Andrews [synonym of Vanilla fragans (Salisbury) Ames]”. This a sweet concentrated flavour, used as an ingredient in Mexican cuisine.

According to the Mexican Industrial Property Law, the Federal Government is the owner of the appellation and is empowered to grant licences to interested parties that comply with the requirements of the Mexican regulations. It is also the responsibility of the Federal Government to seek international protection through the Lisbon Agreement.

Source: information kindly supplied by Juan M. Alvarez del Castillo V (Cervantes, Aguilar-Alvarez y Sainz, SC).

Rediseñarán la Marca Turística de la Ciudad de México.

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) March 03, 2009 No comments:

Hace algunos meses informamos sobre la convocatoria para elegir la marca turística de la Ciudad de México.

Bien, pues después de muchos problemas que se suscitaron en la elección del diseño ganador, como denuncias de plagio de imágenes con derechos de autor así como inconformidades acerca de la elección de finalistas y hasta una petición de re-evaluación del concurso, por fin la semana pasada se anunció al ganador.

No obstante, cuando se pensaba que ahí terminaba el asunto, ahora resulta que le harán algunas modificaciones. De acuerdo con el Secretario de Turismo, Alejandro Rojas Díaz Durán, el diseño ganador será sometido a mejoras pues su versión original no cumplía los requisitos para ser comercializado.

Concretamente se modificará la tipografía y los colores deslavados para dar a conocer por fin el diseño oficial el 18 de marzo. Aquí pueden verse todos los diseños participantes.

Authorities approve sale of Brisa brand in Colombia

Jeremy March 02, 2009 No comments:

The competition authority in Colombia has authorised Coca-Cola FEMSA and The Coca-Cola Company to acquire the Brisa bottled water business from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. The price agreed for this brand, together with its associated business, is US$92m.

Agua Brisa's still, sparkling and flavoured waters are produced in 13 plants across Colombia, being sold in more than 230,000 outlets throughout the country. Brisa's operations in Panama are not included in this transaction.

Presente y futuro de las marcas estadounidenses en Cuba

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez February 27, 2009 No comments:

La presente noticia llega de la mano de Guillermo Navarro, abogado de PI en Argentina: "Marcas EEUU esperan pacientemente su desembarco en Cuba". Se trata de un análisis de un curioso fenómeno: a pesar del bloqueo de Estados Unidos a Cuba, muchas empresas estadounidenses tales como Coca Cola, McDonalds o Nike, tienen registradas y siguen solicitando registros de sus marcas. Muchas de estas marcas fueron solicitadas en la década de los 90, cuando se pensaba que el régimen no resistiría. Naturalmente, debido al bloqueo, la inmensa mayoría de estos productos no están en venta en Cuba. Una de las razones para mantener los registros actualizados es la piratería. Sin embargo, a pesar del carácter dialogante de Obama, ninguna de estas empresas piensa que haya posibilidades de explotar estas marcas en el territorio cubano debido al ferreo control de la economía por el Estado.

Congresos Internacionales UAIPIT

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) February 26, 2009 No comments:

No ha pasado ni un mes desde que el nuestros queridos amigos de UAIPIT celebraron con gran éxito su I Congreso Internacional sobre la protección de la propiedad industrial e intelectual en la actual sociedad de la información, y ya están planeando el segundo de ellos.

El equipo de UAIPIT nos ha informado que para el nuevo evento aceptaran comunicaciones de 15 minutos, las cuales deberán ser enviadas a uaipit@ua.es antes del 1 de diciembre de 2009 para su consideración, aprobación y posterior inclusión en el programa definitivo.

Sin lugar a dudas recibirán muchas propuestas de todos los rincones del mundo. Desde el IP-Tango los invitamos a que participen con ellos.

México: Proceso de registro de una marca, no afecta los derechos del titular de otra marca previamente registrada

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) February 25, 2009 No comments:

La Primera Sala de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación resolvió que el procedimiento para registrar una marca ante el Instituto Mexicano de Propiedad Industrial (IMPI), no significa que se afecten los derechos del titular de una marca previamente establecida, sino hasta el otorgamiento del título que ampara el registro y se publique en la gaceta correspondiente.

Será en ese momento, cuando el titular de una marca, si se considera afectado, puede acudir ante la autoridad respectiva a solicitar la nulidad de la nueva marca.

En este sentido, los ministros puntualizaron que el procedimiento para el registro de una nueva marca de un producto, como lo establece el artículo 122 de la Ley de Propiedad Industrial, no transgrede la garantía de audiencia constitucional (artículo 14 de la Constitución Mexicana) toda vez que ésta opera solamente respecto de actos de privación de derechos y, en el caso concreto, el procedimiento que se sigue para el registro de una nueva marca, no se priva de derecho alguno al titular de una marca previamente registrada.

Los ministros señalaron que es a través del procedimiento de declaración administrativa de nulidad, en donde se oirá a las partes.

Coca-Cola Beats the Crisis and Announces a New Set of Investment in Brazil: A Trademark Case to Study

José Carlos Vaz e Dias February 24, 2009 No comments:

Today, Tuesday, February 24th, is officially the last day of Carnival in Brazil!!! The streets of Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife and other main Brazilian cities are crowded with people celebrating and taking part in the festivities. Samba, Axé and Frevo music are played all over. It is hard to keep quiet with so much energy in the air. Carnival is definitely a popular party and a business too worth participating in. Most importantly, Carnival is a period of high temperature in Brazil reaching at the moment 410C (1050F). The beverage manufacturers, especially soft drinks and beer industries, celebrate this moment, since sales grow as fast as the temperature rises.

Nevertheless, the already set investments for this frightening year of 2009 by such manufacturers have been shy, despite the competitiveness of beverage industry. Nothing seems wrong with this strategy as the investment slowdown follows the initial effects of the world economic situation on the Brazilian business players. According to recent statistic data published by IBGE - official government agency for statistic data - unemployment raised to reach 8.2% last January and the balance of payments were in deficit up to US$ 524 million. This January has been called “A Cruel Month”. It is expected that, as a general rule, consumers will be less inclined to spend.

Nevertheless, there is a group of companies that, ignoring the pessimist projections, has recently announced high investments for Brazil in 2009. These companies have one thing in common: targeting on the promotion of specific trademarks and consumers. An example worth mentioning is the announced investment by COCA-COLA in Brazil for this 2009, which will reach R$ 1.75 billion (approximately US$ 800 million). A considerable amount will be focused on marketing of its main brand COCA-COLA to class “C” consumers. This strategy is based on the fact that the population included in this class has been, since 1994, increasingly consolidating its position as a representative consumer market that had been previously, either ignored or not mainly targeted. Further to that, the company will launch a new version of KUAT, its Guarana based soft drink: KUAT EKO. Guarana comes from an Amazonian fruit extract with this same name and it is a very popular soft drink in Brazil. The KUAT EKO will use the so called “green appeal” to gain both the teenagers and the consumers that value environmental friendly products.

The main objective of the local subsidiary is to place Brazil as the second most important market for COCA-COLA products, ahead of Mexico e behind the United States, as the Group wants to keep the increasing pace observed in the past years.

The interest of COCA-COLA Group in the Brazilian market can be better distinguished by observing its actions involving acquisitions of local brands, such as the well known: MATTE LEÃO. This trademark identifies tea based products prepared with a tea species harvested in the south of Brazil. COCA-COLA has invested heavily in the promotion of the MATTE LEÃO ice tea to beat the Brazilian heat and thirst. To better accomplish its purpose, COCA-COLA is about to inaugurate a new industrial facility in the city of Curitiba, which is intended to increase the production capacity of MATTE LEÃO up to 40%. COCA-COLA will soon launch a new version of MATTE LEÃO ice tea to be sold in cans, since they have been traditionally sold in plastic cups.

COCA-COLA is easily recognized as a huge competitor to play against in Brazil (as it is worldwide) This company knows the price of being a leader in a competitive market and, therefore, has carefully chosen its weapons to lead its success in Brazil: marketing creativity, consistency at the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office and increased demands in law courts to prevent free riders, look alikes, ambush marketing and all sort of unfair competition practices.

Criminal provisions for trade mark infringement in Argentina

Jeremy February 23, 2009 No comments:

An article ("The Battle against Trademark Piracy") in International Law Office, by Daniel R Zuccherino, of Obligado & Cia, summarises among other things the position regarding the criminal law of trade mark infringement in Argentina. Article 31 of the Trade Mark Law in that jurisdiction provides for the following punishments:

“Any person who perpetrates any of the acts mentioned hereinafter shall be punished with imprisonment from three months to two years and a fine may also be imposed:

(a) Any person who infringes or issues fraudulently a registered trade mark or name;

(b) Any person who uses an infringed or fraudulently issued registered trade mark or designation or one belonging to a third party lacking his authorization;

(c) Any person who offers for sale or sells a registered trade mark or an infringed designation, or a fraudulently imitated registered trade mark or designation or a trade mark or designation which belongs to a third party lacking his authorization; and

(d) Any person who offers for sale or sells or otherwise markets products or services of an infringed or fraudulently imitated registered trade mark.”

The Executive Branch has the power to adjust the fixed fine on an annual basis, according to the registered variation of the general level of the wholesale price index, which is officially published by the National Institute of Statistics and Census.

This article also discusses provisions governing (i) the marketing of counterfeit merchandise in fairs that do not comply with legal formalities and (ii) the cross-border importation of counterfeit products.

Argentina makes it 50 for Locarno

Jeremy February 20, 2009 No comments:

From Locarno Notification No. 63 we learn of the deposit by the Government of the Argentine Republic, on February 9, 2009, of its instrument of accession to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs. This Agreement will enter into force, with respect to the Argentine Republic, on May 9, 2009, incidentally bringing to 50 the number of contracting parties to the Locarno Agreement.

Full text of the Locarno Agreement here
Current list of contracting parties here