IPTango

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

Brazil and the UK – a new team?

Patricia Covarrubia March 31, 2010 No comments:

I would love to think that Brazil and the UK can do a good mixture of techniques in a football pitch but I need to spoil my mind and think of IP! I am afraid I cannot wait for the World Cup to start.

Back to the news. Today, a partnership is solidified between Brazil and the UK with the inauguration of Labex Europe unit (here in England), a virtual lab of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) . Brazilian and British scientists are building a new team focusing on technology and innovation to meet the challenges of sustainable agriculture.

For the entire information here.

I was looking for a picture to download and I found out this: ‘There is a saying in football that “the English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it” ; will it be the same for this new team?

.co Priority Registration

Patricia Covarrubia March 30, 2010 No comments:

As announced previously in this blog, the priority period for registration of the .co domain is still in place but until tomorrow ( March 31). The period, which has been running since 01 March, is only for those that possess domain names under extensions .com.co, .net.co and .org.co for example, and which have been registered before July 30, 2008.

Hence, this period provides the opportunity for those owners to register the same domain but with just the extension .co.

Gerardo Aristizabal, mi.com.co manager, and official from the national domain registrar .co said: “it is disturbing to note how, despite widespread information, many companies have yet not value this priority period”. He also adds that after the 31st of March, the domain .co will increase and also, that all requests made over a domain will go through auction between brand owners.

The newspaper EL tiempo reports that the Association of Intellectual Property in Colombia - ACPI is also advocating for businesses and people to see the magnitude of the subject.

Mexico: Ley de protección de datos personales

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez March 29, 2010 1 comment:

Según nos cuenta Juan Ángel Garza Vite (Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León), la Comisión de Gobernación de Mexico ha aprobado recientemente el dictamen por el cual se expide la Ley Federal de Protección de Datos Personales en Posesión de Particulares.

Esta ley "coloca al país a la vanguardia en la protección de derechos de tercera generación, y lo pone a la altura de una democracia moderna". Ahora bien, el proceso para su adopción ha sido largo. El 30 de abril de 2009 se publicó en el Diario Oficial de la Federación de México la modificación de la Constitución Mexicana por la cual se faculta al Congreso de la Unión para legislar en materia de protección de datos personales:

"Artículo 73. El Congreso tiene facultad:
I. a XXIX-N. ...
XXIX-O. Para legislar en materia de protección de datos personales en posesión de particulares".

De acuerdo con el artículo segundo transitorio de dicha publicación el "Congreso de la Unión deberá expedir la ley en la materia en un plazo no mayor de 12 meses, contados a partir de la entrada en vigor del presente Decreto". Por lo tanto, el plazo termina el 30 de abril del presente año y para su promulgación todavía es preciso el visto bueno de la Cámara de senadores.

La necesidad de llevar a cabo esta reforma legislativa viene también provocada por presiones externas: Mexico es el único país junto a Turquía de la OECD que no cuenta con una legislación en la materia. Gracias a ella "toda persona tendrá la facultad de decidir quién, cómo y para qué usa su información personal, por lo que es indispensable abatir el mercado negro de la información que actualmente prevalece en el país, para dejar de ser considerado como un paraíso de datos personales".

Asimismo, la Ley permitirá ampliar la oferta de servicios en sectores como “outsourcing” para servicios de tratamiento de datos de empresas trasnacionales; servicios de almacenamiento de datos; de telecomunicaciones.

Desafortunadamente, en IP Tango no hemos tenido acceso al texto de ley pero estaremos encantados de recibirla de algún miembro de la audiencia.

Costa Rica IP Law Reform

Patricia Covarrubia March 29, 2010 No comments:

Changes in IP Law are the last of the requirements for Costa Rica to enjoy the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, Central America and the Dominican Republic in the country (named CAFTA).

From past months, the U.S. has imposed certain burdens on Costa Rica (see early blog here) to pressure to accept the measures agreed in the FTA on IP issues.

Last week, the project was approved on first reading by 26 deputies of the 39 present; yet, it must be approved on second reading by the full legislature. Only then, the Executive may sign. The next step is publication in the official Gazette.

The initiative amends Article 25 of Law 8039 (Law on Procedures for Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights) and Article 2 of Law 6683 (Law on Copyright and Related Rights). The amendments provide economic penalties and even imprisonment for those imparting musical performances without the respective copyright permissions. According to one newspaper, “... owners of karaoke, musicians, bar owners, restaurants, hotels and entertainment halls that do not pay the copyright in that broadcast music are exposed, besides imprisonment, to economic sanctions which reach 500 basic salaries.”

Patent protection in Brazil: is this the end for Viagra?

Jeremy March 26, 2010 No comments:

According to PRÓGENÉRICOS, the Brazilian Association of the Generic Drug Industry, more than 7 million pills of Viagra were sold in Brazil in 2007, representing a market value of approximatelly BR$ 210 millions. It is estimated that, with the end of patent protection of Viagra, its current price will decrease from betwen 35% and 50%.

The discussion on whether Viagra will turn into a generic drug this year or in 2011 has probably reached its final stage, and a final court ruling by the Superior Justice Court is expected soon.

The issue may be summarised as follows: did the twenty-year patent protection for Viagra in Brazil, commence on June 20, 1990, when the patent application was originally filed in the UK (and later abandoned), or did it start only on June 7, 1991, when that application was filed at the EPO?

If, in one hand, Pfizer claims that the patent protection for Viagra started on june 7, 1991, (ending in 2011), for the Federal Government the twenty year term commenced already on June 20, 1990, thus falling into the public domain this year.

The Federal Regional Court of Rio de Janeiro (as Appelate Court) ruled in favour of Pfizer, but the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO), unwilling to accept this decision, filed an appeal to the Superior Justice of Court.

Last Wednesday, the Superior Justice of Court (2nd Chamber) opened the session and three judges already voted against Pfizer, arguing that the patent protection for Viagra ends this year. The session was, however, suspended and will be resumed within two weeks, when six more judges will have the chance to express their vote.

From the news made available so far, it appears that the Federal Government and other federal Agencies, such as the BPTO, do not expect other ruling than the falling of Viagra patent into public domain this year.

The final decision on this suit is awaited with great expectation, since it may represent an historical ruling, a leading case for all remaining ones and an emblematic victory for the federal government and other federal agencies, taking into account the fact that the presidential elections will take place this year.

Posted by Jeremy for Jorge Miguel Arruda da Veiga (DiBlasi)

Brazil: Google and its legal trouble

Patricia Covarrubia March 24, 2010 No comments:

While the IP community is still digesting the Google AdWords ruling, one always wonder about the Internet Service Provider active or passive role (see case comments by our cousin IPKat).

In the same vein, I found this news in today's newspaper. A Brazilian court in the northern state of Rondonia fined Google for not blocking pages of dirty jokes on its social networking site Orkut. In an appeal to the High Court (Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ)), Google Brazil argued that the company did not have the technical means or employees needed to police Orkut. The STJ observed that Google already implements such control on its pages in China.

The story began when the prosecutor brought civil action in defence of teenagers who were allegedly offended by virtual communities on Orkut. The communities questioned were: 'Pimenta Fofocas' (spicy gossip) and 'Pimenta Fofocas o Return' (spicy gossip return).

The High Court of Justice (STJ) reported that Google was ordered to pay a fine of approx. $2.800 for each day that the contents remain available.

I can observe that in this particular case, the court saw the ‘active’ role of Google.

Chilean earthquake damaged wine production and science

Patricia Covarrubia March 23, 2010 No comments:

Three weeks ago, Chile suffered two incidents - an earthquake followed by a tsunami.The wine production was the most affected in terms of damages. The Chile Wine Association estimates a loss of $250 millions in just spilled wine (does not account for infrastructure damages and the current state of the plantations – approx $600 millions). A study made by the broker BCI believes that ‘Concha y Toro’ winery is the company most affected by the earthquake(newspapers here, here and here).

It has also affected science. Carlos Padilla, vice-chancellor of the University of Talca, explains that many projects and investigations have being affected. For instance, he has being developing research in plant breeding at the Institute of Plant and Biology and Biotechnology. Because genomes are materials that take years to collect they are keep in freezers and with the earthquake they were unfrozen and now unusable. Many others experiments were lost and according to Mr Padilla, this ‘could mean a drop in 5 years of science’.

While the IP blog relates only to news in a particular area of law, I cannot close this article without mentioning the social impact of the earthquake. Our sympathies to the people of Chile.

Reflexiones sobre la piratería en Perú

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez March 23, 2010 No comments:

Alejandra Castañeda ha hecho llegar a IP Tango un interesante artículo publicado en El Comercio en relación con la piratería en Perú. Según reza el resumen: "La piratería aparece ante una necesidad no satisfecha (por precio, variedad o inexistencia de la alternativa formal), pero puede poner en peligro una industria o dinamizar las existentes".

Entre otros aspectos, me parece muy interesante la fórmula ideada por la editorial Norma para combatir la piratería de sus libros: “Hay que reconocer que los piratas han armado una red de distribución descomunal. Por eso me senté con uno de los líderes de la piratería, y le propuse un trato: que venda el libro que yo estaba por lanzar a través de sus canales de distribución”. En la práctica, los piratas iban a seguir comercializando libros piratas, pero, a partir de ese pacto, no piratearían el título que Norma lanzaría al mercado.

El artículo incluye también preguntas interesantes: "¿por qué, pese a que la piratería está tan extendida, han crecido las ventas de libros originales? ¿Por qué, mientras que en el resto de América Latina las salas de cine se siguen desocupando, en el Perú el número de espectadores ha venido incrementándose, hasta alcanzar los 20 millones el año pasado?".

En definitiva, sin menospreciar los problemas que conlleva la piratería, el artículo da pistas para combatirla: los empresarios deben aprender de los "modelos de negocio" de los piratas para, así, favorecer una mayor comercialización de sus obras (aún conviviendo con copias piratas). Una reflexión muy interesante.

Dominica issues notice on publishable events

Jeremy March 23, 2010 No comments:

This January, Dominica's Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property published a notice clarifying the types of events relating to trad emark registration that will be published in the Journal of Intellectual Property. The following now require publication:

• New applications for trade mark registrations
• Applications for entry of a disclaimer (at the Registrar’s discretion)
• Granting a trade mark registration
• Invalidation of a trade mark registration by the High Court
• Renewal of a trade mark registration, or its expiration if not renewed
• Recordation of a licence agreement
• Assignments or other changes of title.

The notice is intended to put agents on notice that fees for the publication of disclaimers, licences, assignments and renewals will now be collected.

Source: Vol. 65, No. 6 of the INTA Bulletin

Costa Rica: 'Do not risk your business using pirated software'

Patricia Covarrubia March 22, 2010 1 comment:

Business Software Alliance (BSA), a non-profit entity created by the computer industry against piracy in the world, informs that since its campaign 'Do not risk your business using pirated software', there has been auditing companies in Costa Rica. As a result, Rodolfo Barrera (BSA lawyer) explains that eight out of ten companies in the country use illegal software.

Officers and officials from the IP Office, as well as specialist from BSA have been involved in the searches.

Barrera adds that those companies using pirated software have been fined $20,000 to $ 50,000. He says that “the penalties depend on the firm size and type of software they are using. It also provides an account of the program and the profits they might have for their illegal use”. While the latter is the normal – account of profit, I am not quite sure about the size of the company. In fact, I cannot see why.
In other words, does it count that I do not have extra cash to buy a CD and so I get a pirated one? Should the law penalise harder Bill Gates if he does the same?

In the same news, the newspaper informs that according to a BSA report, Guatemala ranks first in software piracy (81%) in Central America but third together with Bolivia in Latin America. Venezuela (86%) is in the first place followed by Paraguay (83%).

Some IPTango moves

* Listed as one of the "Best blogs on Intellectual and Industrial Property Law". The University of Alicante Intellectual Property & Information Technology Project (UAIPIT).

* One of the only two Latin American blog listed in the "Top 100 Intellectual Property Blogs". Feedspot, as of May 2021.

* Listed as one of the "Top 15 Blogs For An Intellectual Property (IP) Enthusiasts". Buzzfeed.com, January 2017.

* Listed as one of the "World's Best IP Blogs". BananaIP.com, December 2015.

* IPTango founder Professor Jeremy Phillips was listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Listed as one of the "Influential intellectual property blawgs". A Dictionary of Intellectual Property Law, Peter Groves, 2011.

* Listed as one of the "Communities of Blawgers". Los blogs jurídicos y la web 2.0. para la difusión y la enseñanza del derecho, Gonzalo Ramírez Cleves, 2010.