IPTango

Sunday, 18 August 2019

La OMPI ofrece su primer programa en materia de propiedad intelectual para mujeres indígenas

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo August 18, 2019 No comments:

El Director General de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI), Francis Gurry, publicó un mensaje en el marco del Día Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas (9 de Agosto), el cual puede consultarse aquí.

En tal sentido, resulta pertinente destacar que la OMPI está ofreciendo su primer programa de formación y asesoramiento en materia de propiedad intelectual para mujeres emprendedoras pertenecientes a pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales.

La OMPI ha señalado que proyectos basados en conocimientos tradicionales (CC.TT.) y expresiones culturales tradicionales (ECT) fortalecen el sentido de identidad y pertenencia de los pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales, a la vez que generan ingresos que repercuten en beneficio de los mismos.

En este contexto, dado el importante rol que la propiedad intelectual puede desempeñar al impedir la apropiación y aprovechamiento indebidos de los CC.TT. y ECT de pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales, la OMPI proporcionará capacitación y asesoramiento respecto al “uso estratégico y eficiente de los derechos de propiedad intelectual en apoyo” a los proyectos que sean seleccionados.

En consecuencia, la OMPI podrá “asistir a empresarias creativas e innovadoras a desarrollar y comercializar de manera sostenible productos y servicios basados en CC.TT. y ECT; ayudar a identificar y gestionar las cuestiones de PI que puedan surgir en el contexto de los proyectos de catalogación y digitalización de los CC.TT. y las ECT; apoyar a organizadoras de festivales folclóricos, artísticos y culturales, así como artistas, artista intérpretes o ejecutantes y expositoras en dichos festivales, a supervisar y gestionar el uso de los derechos de PI en ese contexto”. Cabe señalar que estos son sólo algunos ejemplos del tipo de proyectos que pueden beneficiarse del programa ofrecido por la OMPI.

El programa está dirigido sólo a mujeres dado el rol que generalmente desempeñan como custodias de CC.TT. y ECT, así como los desafíos y desigualdades que enfrentan en temas de acceso a la educación, financiamiento y servicios de apoyo.

Requisitos

Pueden inscribirse al programa, mujeres emprendedoras pertenecientes a pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales que estén planeando o hayan comenzado un proyecto que involucre CC.TT. y/o ECT, tales como “artesanas, diseñadoras, músicas tradicionales y bailarinas, investigadoras, curanderas o pequeñas agricultoras”.

Serán seleccionadas hasta 20 mujeres provenientes de las siete regiones reconocidas por el Foro Permanente de las Naciones Unidas: África; el Ártico; Asia; América Central, del Sur y el Caribe; Europa Oriental, Rusia, Asia Central y la región del Cáucaso Meridional; América del Norte y el Pacífico. Si es posible, se elegirán al menos dos participantes por región.

Las participantes deberán poder comunicarse en inglés, francés, español o ruso.

El programa

El programa se divide en dos fases. La primera fase, de capacitación, se llevará a cabo en Ginebra del 11 al 15 de Noviembre de 2019 y comprende un taller práctico en el que las participantes aprenderán los conceptos básicos del sistema de propiedad intelectual así como “hacer un uso estratégico y eficiente de los derechos de propiedad intelectual en apoyo” a sus proyectos. De igual manera, podrán “conocer posibles socios para su implementación”.

Los costos de las participantes para asistir a la capacitación en Ginebra serán cubiertos por la OMPI.

En 2020 se llevará a cabo la segunda fase, de asesoramiento, principalmente a través de correos electrónicos y teléfono. En esta segunda fase del programa, las participantes recibirán asesoría por parte de sus mentores respecto a diversos aspectos de propiedad intelectual para la implementación de sus proyectos. La OMPI no proporcionará apoyo financiero en esta etapa del programa.

Una vez que la fase de asesoramiento termine, las participantes informarán a la OMPI sobre los resultados en cuanto a la implementación de sus proyectos y responderán un breve cuestionario.

Se espera que el programa de la OMPI genere una prosperidad sostenible en las comunidades de las participantes y reduzca las desigualdades de género y pobreza al fomentar la innovación, creatividad y espíritu empresarial de las mujeres de pueblos indígenas y comunidades locales.

Solicitudes que han sido debidamente llenadas, firmadas y escaneadas deberán enviarse al correo electrónico grtkf@wipo.int antes del 30 de Agosto de 2019. Más información disponible en español aquí y en inglés aquí.

Créditos: imagen de la cuenta oficial de la OMPI en Twitter.

La versión en inglés de este artículo fue primero publicada en el blog The IPKat.

EU and Mercosur Trade Agreement - the lucky 20 (?)

Patricia Covarrubia July 02, 2019 No comments:

Over the weekend, it was all over the news that after 20 years of negotiation and talks the EU and Mercosur agreed to a trade deal.

Mercosur is one of the largest trade bloc in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay), the other been the Andean Community (CAN) (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia). Since 2013, the EU agreement with Colombia and Peru started to apply, and this was later on joined by Ecuador (2017). This last EU agreement has seen how the market has gradually opened for both sides and has increased an investment environment for the South American countries involved. Bear in mind that the EU is the third largest trade partner in the Andean countries -- you can check the external link containing the fourth annual report (2018). If we go back to the start of this agreement, you may recall that we talk about one of the requirements imposed by the EU, that of Colombia to sign the Madrid Agreement.

Was Brazil and the heavy pushy 2019 on the Madrid Protocol a perfect clue for what was happening?

In Brazil we saw 2 public consultations: The registration of marks as multiclass trade marks: the Brazilian law does not allow for this. A multiclass trade mark application is filed for the purpose of getting ONE trade mark registered under two or more classes of products/services at the same time i.e. a multiclass application rather than a single application (a registration per class – a separate application must be filed for each class). The other hint was the open consultation on co-ownership and division of registrations and orders. Amusing to see in this latter announcement, published on the 21^st May 2019, a notice indicating that shortly there was to be an open consultation on registration of marks under the Madrid Protocol; although by next day, the Brazilian Senate approved the Brazilian adhesion to the system. They did however opened the consultation on the 28^th May.

I am looking forward to read the agreement and specially the section ‘Intellectual Property, including Geographical Indications’. Now a holistic approach is noted in section 13, here. On trade marks it states that there is an important reference to the ‘Madrid Agreement’ – does it mean that they will have to become members as the Colombia’s example? But, then I read that in regards to patents, countries that are not part of the Patent Cooperation Treaty are encouraged to sign – well, this is directed to all except Brazil. So, no encouragement for Madrid then, uh?. We of course cannot expect less from the EU counterpart to have an ‘ambitious’ on the topic of Geographical Indications. And to be honest it appears to be quite balance if we compare with the FTA between the EU and the Andean countries wh

ere there was a complete unbalance. In this one, the EU listed 355 and the Mercosur 220.

Hold your breath, the agreement still needs to be ratified by the national parliaments of all member countries of both blocs, as well as by the EU Parliament and EU Council.

Geographical Indication in Brazil: Jan-June 2019

Patricia Covarrubia July 01, 2019 No comments:

The latest news re. GI in Brazil relates to the granting of a GI in the form of Indicação de Procedência to a national product. In May, the Brazilian Instituto Nacional da Propriedade industrial (INPI) registered the name ‘Coffea arábica do Oeste da Bahia’ for coffee coming from the municipalities of Formosa do Rio Preto, Santa Rita de Cássia, Riachão das Neves, Barreiras, Luís Eduardo Magalhães, São Desidério, Catolândia, Baianópolis, Correntina, Jaborandi e Cocos. The GI was granted to the Associação dos Cafeicultores do Oeste da Bahia who will be administering the GI.

In February, INPI granted a GI in the form of Denomination of Origin to the Consejo Regulador del Tequila A.C. to ‘tequila’. The application was submitted back in August 2008 and was finally granted this year – published at the Revista da Propriedade Industrial (RPI) nº 2510.

Before this, in January INPI granted a GI in the form of Indication of Source (Indicação de Procedência) to the national Associação Cultural e Fomento Agrícola de Tomé-Açu (ACTA) for ‘Cacau de Tomé-Açu’ (cocoa).

Brazil recognizes Geographical Indication in the form of Denomination of Origin and Indication of Source. A GI aims to delimit a geographical area’s name to the producers, providers of a particular product/service. In the case of DO, it refers to a country region, city whose products or services have certain features given by its geographical environment including natural and human factors. An Indication of Source refers to the name of a country, region, city whose products or services have certain features given by its geographical environment (no natural/human factor needed).

Finally, in March the Normative Instruction No. 095 (published in the Magazine of Industrial Property (RPI) nº 2504) was in force. The Normative establishes the conditions for the registration of Geographical Indications replacing Normative Instruction No. 25, 2013. Among the new conditions one can observe that the ‘Regulamento de Uso’ (Use Regulation) is now called Technical Specifications; there is now the possibility to change a GI already registered to, include or suppress the name of the product or service and; it is possible to change the GI’s graphic/figurative representation.

The Guna people to Nike: Just don't Do It

Patricia Covarrubia May 27, 2019 No comments:

@Isaac Larrier

A limited edition by sportswear Nike is a trending topic. The shoes were to be a tribute to Puerto Rico but the Guna people, the second largest indigenous community in Panama, objected to the design. The said design was a ‘mola’, which is a protected traditional design by the community. The design in question are the traditional 'mola' patterns which feature colourful, swirling designs and geometric or figurative drawings. This art is ‘passed on stitch by stitch from mothers to daughters and bears witness to the Guna vision of the cosmos and their harmonious relationship with nature’.

The first non-traditional trademark registrations have been granted in Mexico

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo May 03, 2019 No comments:

This post was first published on The IPKat blog:

The Mexican Industrial Property Law was significantly amended last year through two batches of amendments. Read this Kat's reviews on the first batch here and the second one here and here.

The second batch of amendments to the Law entered into force on 10 August 2018 and modified a number of provisions related to trademarks. One such amendment provides that trade dress, scents, sounds, holograms, the combination of colors and certification marks are entitled to trademark protection under Mexican IP Law.

Non-traditional trademarks and other amendments to the Mexican IP Law (Second Part)

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo April 27, 2019 No comments:

This post was first published on The IPKat blog:

This Kat summarizes in the second part of the report on the second batch of amendments to the Mexican IP Law, the highlights of the provisions thoroughly modified in relation to trademarks and administrative procedures. Read the first part here.

Trademarks

Let’s dive into the amendments to Mexican IP Law!

Specific products and services. According to article 113 section IV, the specific products or services to be covered by the mark must be indicated in the application form.

Co-existence agreements and letters of consent. The grounds for refusal of a trademark registration established in sections XVIII, XIX and XX of article 90 (which inter alia refer to signs confusingly similar to another in respect of which a pending application has been filed or a trademark registration in force) are not applicable to confusingly similar trademarks when the “… consent is expressed, in writing, in accordance with the Regulations of … [the] Law”.

Non-traditional trademarks and other amendments to the Mexican IP Law (First Part)

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo April 24, 2019 No comments:

This post was first published on The IPKat blog:

The Mexican Industrial Property Law was significantly modified last year through two batches of amendments. The first batch modified provisions regarding patents, designs, utility models, trademarks and appellations of origin (AOs). Geographical indications (GIs) are also now regulated under the Mexican IP Law and a registry of foreign GIs and AOs lodged the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) will be created. Read this Kat’s review on the first batch here.

Let’s dive into the amendments to Mexican IP Law!

The second batch of amendments to the Law entered into force on 10 August 2018 and thoroughly modified some provisions related to trademarks and administrative procedures.

This Kat summarizes in two posts the second batch of amendments.

Brasil más cerca de Madrid

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb) April 09, 2019 No comments:

La Cámara de Diputados de Brasil aprobó el pasado 3 de abril el Proyecto de Decreto Legislativo nº 860/2017 sobre el tratado internacional "Protocolo referente al Acuerdo de Madrid relativo al Registro Internacional de Marcas", más conocido como Protocolo de Madrid. El texto ahora pasa al Senado Federal.

El Sistema de Madrid permite proteger una marca en gran número de países mediante la obtención de un registro internacional que surte efecto en cada una de las Partes Contratantes que se hayan designado. Consta actualmente de 104 Miembros y abarca 120 países, que representan más del 80% del comercio mundial.

La preparación operativa realizada por el INPI para la implementación del Protocolo de Madrid abarca la modificación de los sistemas de TI utilizados en el procesamiento de pedidos de marca, la creación y modificación de procedimientos operativos, la edición de actos normativos y manuales, una reestructuración interna y el dimensionamiento y capacitación de los equipos.

Brasil sería el 7º país del continente americano que se adheriría al Sistema de Madrid.

How Venezuelan Crisis affects IP owners

Patricia Covarrubia March 05, 2019 No comments:

HOW VENEZUELAN CRISIS AFFECTS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNERS People who believe that cryptocurrencies have no real utility should look carefully at what is happening in Venezuela.

By Alvaro R. Bonilla. Founder BR Latin American IP LLC

You have probably never heard about the Petro, a cryptocurrency launched in October 2018 by the government of Venezuela as a measure to fight against an out of control inflation of more than 1.000.000%.

The "Petro" was launched about a year after the "Rabbit Plan" didn't work out. The "Rabbit Plan" was a national campaign for people to raise rabbits in their houses so they could have access to animal protein, something very scarce in once the richest country of Latin America. The plan did not meet the expectations as most people were not capable of killing what became their furry pet.

Well, now Petro has become the payment method for official fees for foreign IP applicants, but there is more than a catch with this.

How did we get to this point?

First, the Chavist Venezuelan government has never been a fan of Intellectual Property. In fact, they are against any private property and even more if it is an income producer private property.

For years the Venezuelan IP authority, the SAPI, became a black box were applications were filed but nothing happened. Not even a single patent was granted for many years.

One day, following the example of their socialist friends in Ecuador, they discovered that they could make a good amount of money charging incredible high official fees to foreign applicants.

The SAPI opened bank accounts in the US and later in Puerto Rico to receive payments from foreign applicants as it was not possible for them to pay in the local currency.

Later, as the Venezuela huge humanitarian, economic, social, political and international crisis became a regional problem, the US government started to impose sanctions against their regime.

The time when the SAPI was receiving thousands of dollars for a single patent annuity came to an end as their US-based bank accounts got closed.

On February 2nd, 2018, the Venezuelan Patent and Trademark Office (SAPI) advised the public to stop making registration related fee payments in foreign currency until the authorities could clarify the exchange rate to be applied. In fact, their official exchange rate is so distorted that if used applicants will end up paying pennies for their applications.

On August 23, 2018, the SAPI approved a new set of fees that represented a price increase of 142,000%, a move that sparked outrage among the IP community in Venezuela, with several of its leaders calling for the repeal of the measure.

On top of this, the SAPI entered back in low-activity mode, virtually halting the IP registration proceedings.

The situation did not change much until February 1st, 2019, when the SAPI published a new set of fees, which ended the year-long suspension of payments enacted on February 2018.

Not all was good news: according to the SAPI announcement, foreign applicants and right owners would have to make their payments in "Petros", the government-sponsored cryptocurrency.

Legal challenges have been announced against the measure, but their success is far from guaranteed.

The SAPI directive meant a new hurdle for US-based applicants, since on March 19th, 2018 the US government had issued an executive order effectively prohibiting any US person or within the US to provide financing for or otherwise deal in "any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018."

So foreign applicants are now in a delicate situation if they do not use the Petros they might lose their IP rights in Venezuela. But if they use them to pay their fees they are at high risk of getting a sanction from the US.

Even though the "Petros" payment platform is not yet available for the general public, we recommend our clients to seek regulatory advice in their countries in order to avoid potential risks.

As with everything now in Venezuela we are not sure what is going to happen. At least we know for sure that as the "rabbit plan" is no longer working we will not have to pay official fees with rabbits.

Colombia: the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce assumed IBEPI's Presidency

Patricia Covarrubia February 27, 2019 No comments:

Since 01st January 2019, The Colombian Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) has assumed Pro Tempore, the Presidency of the Ibero-American Program on Industrial Property and Development Promotion (IBEPI). The programme subscribed to the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) brings together the Intellectual Property National Offices of 14 countries of the region, including: Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Dominican Republic and Colombia.

The IBEPI focuses on the promotion of the use of intellectual property as a tool for competition and development in the industrial, commercial and research areas of Ibero-American countries. Its general objective is the promotion of development of Ibero-American societies through the strategic use of intellectual property in support of public policies; it aims to use it as a tool for competitiveness in the commercial, industrial and research sectors of the region.

The program is currently developing five lines of action which will be promoted and articulated through the year. This include: (i) Technological Information, (ii) Modernization of Offices, creation of Human Resources and Training; (iii) Communications, CIBEYME and Advise to Users; (iv) Observance of Rights; and (v) International Cooperation with other Intellectual Property Programmes.

Sources SIC and IBEPI.

Post written by
Lina Marcela Tello Perlaza
lm.tello@hotmail.es
Lawyer (Icesi University, Cali Colombia)
LLM in International Commercial Law (Brunel University, London UK)