Rio 2016: Wikipedia as a source

Rio 2016: Wikipedia as a source

Jeremy   October 16, 2009   No comments:

There's a lengthy entry on Wikipedia on Rio de Janeiro's successful bid to secure the 2016 Olympic Games. It's well researched, with over 200 links to source documents, and current up to and including Wednesday 14 October.

As yet, there's little of specific interest to IP owners and their legal advisors, but I suspect that this will change as details of specific sponsorship details, broadcasting and transmission arrangements etc become known. There's also a separate non-Rio-specific Wikipedia entry here that covers the Olympic and Paralympic symbols.

Readers of IP Tango may wish to consult these resources and indeed contribute to them.

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Unión Europea comunica restricción a productores chilenos

Unión Europea comunica restricción a productores chilenos

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez   October 16, 2009   No comments:

La unión Europea ha enviado un comunicado a las autoridades Chilenas en el cual pide que acepten nuevas restricciones referentes a Denominaciones de Origen en productos lácteos. Esta medida forma parte de la ‘clausula evolutiva’ (Articulo 74) del Tratado de Libre Comercio firmado por ambas partes en el año 2004.

Específicamente, la Unión Europea exige que Chile respete Denominaciones de Origen Europeas para producto lácteos que sean elaborados en dicho país y que son comercializados tanto en el interior como en el exterior. Los quesos afectados por dicha exigencia seria como por ejemplo el camembert, brie y emental. Por esta razón, el presidente de la Asociación de Exportadores de Productos Lácteos (Exporlac) Manuel Zamora, indicó que la industria láctea rechaza la propuesta brindada por el bloque europeo. Dicha negativa se debe a que anualmente la industria láctea Chilena exporta más de US$ 250 millones, y esta medida afectaría el 30% a la industria quesera.

Debemos notar sin embargo, que las autoridades Chilenas se reunirán en las próximas semanas con los productores locales de queso e intentaran negociar un acuerdo. Al momento se estima que dichas negociaciones se basaran en un tipo de compensación. Se dice que Chile buscará aumentar sus cuotas de exportación hacia la Unión Europea en productos tales como la carne de res, el pescado y aceite de oliva.

El punto a considerar es sin duda el desenvolvimiento de la clausula evolutiva que se basa en la reciprocidad. Nos preguntamos a tal efecto ¿cuánto estará dispuesta la Unión Europea a acceder?

Previamente la Unión Europea ha intentando extender el Artículo 23 del Convenio de Paris. Como se sabe, este Artículo solo protege las Indicaciones Geográficas de los vinos y las bebidas espirituosas. Esta propuesta algo controversial se ha visto por muchos gobiernos como una extensión innecesaria que a la final no beneficiaría al consumidor. Estos consideran que muchos de estos nombres son usados genéricamente en varios países, un ejemplo en este caso sería el queso parmesano. La pregunta radica, ¿es esta una manera de la Unión Europea, después de no recibir el apoyo de la mayoría de los países miembros del Convenio de Paris, de proteger sus productos agrícolas y procesados, por la puerta de atrás?

Prepared by Patricia Covarrubia (Visiting Lecturer University of Buckingham), posted by Aurelio

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Televisa pierde la pugna por la marca “Ponte la verde”

Televisa pierde la pugna por la marca “Ponte la verde”

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb)   October 16, 2009   No comments:

La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) negó un amparo a la empresa Televisa, como parte de la disputa que ésta sostiene con su competidora Televisión Azteca por el registro como marca de la frase "Ponte la Verde", utilizada para identificar a la Selección Mexicana de futbol.

Televisa solicitó a la SCJN que declarara inconstitucional el artículo 151 de la Ley de la Propiedad Industrial, el mismo que sirvió de base para que el Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) no anulara el registro de la frase que le otorgó a TV Azteca. Pero la Corte ratificó la validez de dicho artículo y se negó a amparar a Televisa. Pese al fallo, Televisa no ha perdido definitivamente el litigio.

La SCJN regresó una parte del juicio promovido por Televisa a un Tribunal Colegiado de Circuito (instancia de menor jerarquía), para que revise algunas cuestiones de legalidad que tienen que ver con el proceso, los argumentos y las pruebas que tomó en cuenta el IMPI para negarse a anular el registro de marca que le otorgó a TV Azteca.

Desde enero de 2006, previo al mundial de Alemania, TV Azteca obtuvo los derechos para hacer uso exclusivo de la frase "Ponte la verde", motivo por el cual Televisa le pidió al IMPI que anulara dicho registro. Televisa alegó que la frase que había registrado TV Azteca le pertenecía pues la había usado desde antes de que se otorgara el registro. En noviembre de 2008 el IMPI rechazó la petición por considerar que no había demostrado que hubiera usado dicha frase publicitaria de manera ininterrumpida.

Sin lugar a dudas seguiremos teniendo noticias de éste conflicto máxime ahora que la Verde ha calificado al mundial de Sudáfrica 2010.

Más información aquí, aquí y algunos antecedentes aquí.

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Rio 2016 -- who will pay, and how?

Rio 2016 -- who will pay, and how?

Jeremy   October 15, 2009   3 comments:

In a piece for the IAM Blog entitled "Pharma companies may well end up subsidising Rio 2016" Joff Wild, the respected editor of Intellectual Asset Management magazine writes:

"I would not be surprised if the parties are still going strong in Brazil following the decision to give the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro. ...

As with all Olympics, of course, the question now is how will it all be paid for. The next games will take place in IAM's home town, London. The original budget for these was set at £9.3 billion or around $15 billion. It now seems pretty clear we are going to end up paying a lot more. It will not be a surprise if the same thing happens to Rio. It seems to be a usual occurrence whoever the host happens to be.

But even if Rio does defy the odds and sticks to budget, the extra money to hold the games is still going to have to be found from somewhere. And one place the Brazilians have always looked to reduce costs in the past is in their dealings with the research-based pharmaceutical industry. It may be the world's eighth largest economy, but Brazil still sees itself very much as a developing country. As a result, it does not believe it should pay top dollar for its medicines. In fact, the country believes it should not pay very much at all.

Interestingly, Brazil currently imports $8 billion worth of drugs and medicines a year -- which is about half the cost of a London Olympics give or take a billion or so. My guess is that even if they are not sponsoring events in Rio in 2016, pharma companies may well find that they make a significant contribution to their success as Brazil seeks to find compulsory licensing savings in order to finance building and other infrastructure projects".

Will this prediction come true? And what will it mean both for the financing of the Olympic Games and for the pharma industry? At this stage it is too early to speculate, but I image that by 2016 the cost of pharma products to Brazil and all the rest of the world's actually and self-designated developing countries will be far lower than it is now, on account of (i) the continued growth of the generic sector, (ii) the increased success of the anti-patent lobby in branding pharma patents as 'toxic' and (iii) the reluctant acceptance by proprietary pharma that, outside North America, the EU, Japan and a few other ringfenced markets, it will make no worthwhile profits at all. Accordingly, the savings to the Brazilian government through compulsory licensing might be in real terms a lot less than the sort of figures we're looking at now.

There are two further points to consider. The first is that money saved on Brazil's health budget is unlikely to flow effortlessly into the coffers that support the Olympic Games project, since -- whatever the degree of prestige accorded to Rio 2016, the Brazilian government has many other demands on its cash. Secondly, a prudent Brazilian treasury will be slow to pay public money towards an event that attracts private sector investment as strongly as the Olympics do without first looking carefully to see how much of the necessary funding does indeed come from private sector sources.

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Sistema de licencia libre para los músicos venezolanos

Sistema de licencia libre para los músicos venezolanos

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez   October 14, 2009   No comments:

El Servicio Autónomo de la Propiedad Industrial (SAPI) ha presentado un nuevo sistema por medio del cual, artistas que suscriban la licencia podrán colocar su música en la página web de esta Institución. De esta forma los navegadores podrán descargar música de manera gratuita. La plataforma está diseñada para que los artistas difundan sus creaciones pero impide a aquellos que descargan la música, distribuirla. En tal sentido Eduardo Samán (Ministro de Comercio) enfatiza que "La licencia no le da permiso de comercializarla. Por ejemplo, no se la puede vender a una emisora de radio.”

Debemos recordar que en el año 2008, Venezuela abandonó la Comunidad Andina. Mucho se ha debatido si la revisión que se promueve de la legislación de Propiedad Intelectual atacará las empresas multinacionales y apoyara la piratería o en realidad el Gobierno busca propagar las creaciones a los sectores de menos recursos económicos. Así pues, esta decisión puede ser vista por algunos como un intento más del Gobierno de promover la reducción de las barreras legales para las obras de la creatividad, o ¿es el caso de que se está promoviendo las reproducciones ilegales en Venezuela?

Prepared by Patricia Covarrubia (Visiting Lecturer University of Buckingham), posted by Aurelio

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Rio 2016: here's the original text of the Olympic Act

Rio 2016: here's the original text of the Olympic Act

Jeremy   October 13, 2009   No comments:

Here, thanks to Jorge Miguel Arruda da Veiga (Di Blasi, Parente, Vaz e Dias & Asociados) is a link to the new Brazilian Law no 12035/2009, which sets outs the provisions of the Olympic Act.

At present this law is only available in Portuguese. However, since most of readers of the IP Tango weblog are not familiar with that language, Jorge has kindly offered to translate it and provide this blog with an English version next week.

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Rio 2016, the great triumph ... and ambush marketing

Rio 2016, the great triumph ... and ambush marketing

Jeremy   October 08, 2009   No comments:

A giant party broke out in the streets of Rio de Janeiro last Friday when the International Olympic Committee announced that the city of Rio de Janeiro had been chosen to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics Games. This historic decision was viewed by the people and the authorities as a conquest, since the Olympic Games will be hosted for the first time in South American, and because the other competitors (Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo) were very strong. Nevertheless, Rio de Janeiro’s victory left no doubts as it took 66 votes in favour against 32 for Madrid in the final round of voting.

The contagious atmosphere of the victory seems to have already overcome the limits of the law and fair competition, at least to the eyes of the IP experts since, the following day, besides praising for Rio de Janeiro’s success a great number of Brazilian and foreign companies took the opportunity to advertise their products and services in local newspapers in connection with the big event yet to come. Other companies, however, praised the victory of Rio de Janeiro in connection with their main products or services.

Such advertisements may be qualified as typical ambush marketing practices and association with the Olympic marks, and evidence that the Olympic authorities will have tough work ahead to tame the enthusiasm of the population and the hunger of the local and foreign companies, as free riders will surely attempt to profit from the biggest sport events ever held in this country.

Further to that, ambush marketing is still a recent phenomenon in Brazil, especially for the local courts, which will sure demand new rules, education, tenacity and patience to stop the ongoing practices.

Prepared by José Carlos Vaz e Dias (Di Blasi Parente Vaz e Dias e Asociados), posted by Jeremy

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Brazil passes its Olympic Act

Brazil passes its Olympic Act

Jeremy   October 08, 2009   No comments:

On 1 October, one day before Rio de Janeiro was chosen to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Brazilian Federal Government enacted law no 12.035/09, which instituted the Olympic Act. This law became effective on 2 October and will remain in force until 31 December 2016.

According to this Law the Federal Authorities, such as the Federal Revenue and Federal Police, are empowered to oversee, control and restrain third-party unlawful use of the “symbols related with Jogos Rio 2016” (Rio Games 2016), whether for commercial or non commercial purposes.

Protection of Symbols Related with Rio Games 2016

For the purposes of this law, “symbols related with Rio Games 2016” comprise the mottos, hymns, flags, emblems, marks, words (in any language), abbreviations, mascots and torches of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Rio Games 2016 Organizing Committee and those related to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Prohibition of Ambush Marketing Practices

Another issue also addressed by the Olympic Act was the practice of ambush marketing, a matter closely related with the Olympic Games. Article 7 prohibits the use of words or expressions so similar to the “symbols related to Jogos Rio 2016” that are likely to create an undue association with any product or service, company, business relationship, or event with the Rio Games 2016 or the Olympic movement.

Suspension of Advertising Agreements

The Olympic Act also determines the possibility of suspending Advertising Contracts in force during the period of 5 July to 26 September 2016, for advertisement spaces at airports or in any territorial area controlled by the federal authorities that may be of the interest of Rio Games 2016. Such suspension depends upon the request of Rio Games 2016 Organizing Committee, provided that it is duly grounded and with a 180 days prior notice.

The Rio Games 2016 Organizing Committee will also have the exclusive option to use such advertisement spaces in 2016, according to the price generally practised in 2008, subject to an interest rate indexation, avoiding inflation or the raise of prices due to the upcoming event. This option may also be transferred to any sponsor or official collaborator of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or Rio Games 2016 Organizing Committee.

Prepared by Jorge Miguel Arruda da Veiga (Di Blasi Parente Vaz e Dias e Asociados) and posted by Jeremy

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México: Demandan acceso público a riqueza genética vegetal

México: Demandan acceso público a riqueza genética vegetal

Gilberto Macias (@gmaciasb)   October 01, 2009   No comments:

El senador del PRD, Rubén Velásquez presentó una iniciativa para reformar la Ley Federal de Variedades Vegetales con el fin establecer límites a las patentes y derechos de propiedad intelectual sobre los recursos fitogenéticos.

En palabras del legislador "La propuesta parte de la perspectiva de que el derecho de uso de estos recursos y conocimientos no pueda ser restringidos a la vía de la propiedad intelectual ni a la legislación en materia civil".

La iniciativa pretende establecer que los recursos fitogenéticos son de dominio público y que nadie podrá ejercer derechos o imponer restricciones cuando su acceso tenga por objetivo el desarrollo de investigaciones para la alimentación o la agricultura.

Más información aquí.

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Presentación en Colombia del nuevo libro de Ricardo Antequera

Presentación en Colombia del nuevo libro de Ricardo Antequera

Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella Martinez   October 01, 2009   No comments:

El Foro académico de Derecho de autor y Derecho industrial de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá (Colombia) ha organizado una jornada con motivo de la presentación del nuevo libro del profesor Ricardo Antequera Parilli "Estudios sobre derecho industrial y derecho de autor (Análisis de Jurisprudencia comparada)".

El evento tendrá lugar el día 13 de octubre de 2009 de 8:00 a.m. A 12:00 m. en el Auditorio Luis Carlos Galan, Edificio Gabriel Giraldo, S.J. y contará, además de con el profesor Antequera, con otros ilustres académicos y autoridades.

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