IPTango

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Call for papers – come on my Latin America people!

Patricia Covarrubia December 14, 2011 No comments:

My e-mail inbox revealed two invitations and I am happy to share these.

INTA
The International Trademark Association (INTA) will host its Third Annual Trademark Scholarship Symposium in Washington DC on May 7, 2012. Abstract of project for a paper on a topic in the field of trademark or unfair competition law is now open. Abstracts should be approx 300 words and the deadline for submission is January 15, 2012. More info here.

SLSA
Leicester De Montfort Law School is hosting the Socio-Legal Studies Association 2012 conference. Abstract submissions for various streams/themes are welcome- Indigenous rights is there! So, any paper regarding traditional knowledge, healing plants and the like are welcome. Abstracts should not be longer than 300 words and the deadline for the submission of abstracts is 16th January 2012. More info here.

Conflicto de marcas por cerveza Andes

Rodrigo Ramirez Herrera @ramahr December 14, 2011 No comments:

"Andes" no es sólo el nombre del cordón montañoso que divide Chile y Argentina. También es el signo distintivo de dos cervezas, una de origen chileno y otra argentina.

La cuestión es que la filial chilena del grupo belga Anheuser- Bush Inbev (ABInBev) se prepara para lanzar en Chile su marca de cerveza de origen argentino "Andes" (hoy de la empresa belga con filial chilena), que nació en Mendoza hace 90 años y que es líder en la región de Cuyo. La matriz es además dueña de las marcas Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck's, Bud Light, Skol, Becker, Brahma, y Quilmes entre muchas otras.

El problema es que el lanzamiento al mercado podría chocar con una intimación para el cese del uso de la marca (Cease and Desist Letter) que ha impetrado el grupo CCU, principal compañía cervecera de Chile. Esta empresa tiene registrada la marca Andes para Chile bajo el número 683275 desde el año 2004 para la clase 32 del nomenclátor , aunque actualmente no la explota en dicho mercado. Si bien la disputa todavía no llega aún a los tribunales chilenos, el diario El Mercurio informó que CCU ya le envío una carta a Cervecería Chile -la filial local de ABInBev-, en la que se reserva el derecho de ejercer las acciones legales pertinentes si se avanza con el lanzamiento.

[place commercial here]

En el diario La Nación de Argentina se consignó que: "[L]os especialistas en registros de marcas consultados [...] destacaron que el tema tiene varias aristas legales que trascienden largamente el mercado cervecero.'Un punto clave para la legislación de la Argentina y Chile, que son casi idénticas en materia de derechos marcarios, es el uso efectivo de la marca. La ley establece que cuando alguien registra una marca es para obtener un beneficio y, por lo tanto, tiene que darle un uso', señaló el abogado Hugo Cuervo, del estudio Rava".

En puridad, el sistema marcario chileno, a diferencia de otros en el derecho comparado (como el sistema europeo), no establece la carga (u obligación para algunos) de uso del signo distintivo en el territorio respectivo, ni consecuentemente, existe la figura sancionatoria de la caducidad por falta de uso, por lo que los registros constituyen propiedad dominical de sus titulares con la única carga del pago de tasas de renovación para su conservación, salvo, claro está, que se impugne su validez por afectar marcas notorias previas (mundialmente famosas). Así, vigente el registro, el derecho de exclusiva, y su jus prohibendi conservan sus propiedades excluyentes aplicables bajo los principios normativos de territorialidad y especialidad. En todo caso, para un mejor análisis empírico es recomendable hacerlo junto con una buena cerveza.

Fuentes: Diario La Nación / Diario El Mercurio / Inapi

Texto completo de jurisprudencia de Propiedad Intelectual

Rodrigo Ramirez Herrera @ramahr December 14, 2011 No comments:

En entradas anteriores comentamos en el blog dos sentencias interesantes: la primera vinculada con el derecho de autor y derecho a la intimidad, relacionada con Gabriel García Márquez y un personaje de "Cien Años de Soledad". La segunda, por su parte, trata especialmente el requisito de fondo de patentabilidad conocido como "nivel inventivo" y la ilegalidad de la exigencia de un efecto sorprendente en Chile.

Para los interesados ambas están disponibles en su texto completo (PDF). La referida al escritor García Márquez se ha obtenido gracias a la gentileza de los abogados colombianos Maximiliano Aramburo y Víctor Pacheco. Los enlaces son gracias a Aurelio López-Tarruella: (1) Sentencia del Tribunal de Barranquilla (Colombia) y (2) Sentencia de la Corte Suprema de Chile.

Argentina on illegal streaming

Patricia Covarrubia December 13, 2011 No comments:

Cuevana.tv, the popular Argentine site (12 million monthly users)and also one of Latin America's most popular online video streaming site that offers movies, series and audiovisual content, continues to accumulate reasons to shut it down - favouring free distribution of copyrighted video without owners consent (copyright infringement). Yet, the first actual lawsuit against the site was filed on later November by HBO. Previous attend saw the free-to-air TV channel Telefe (Telefónica Group) threatening ‘Cuevana’ to bring a lawsuit but never materialised.

In a district court in Argentina, HBO formally accused ‘Cuevana’ of infringing the country's Intellectual Property Law (11.723). The lawsuit was filed against both Tomás Escobar (the young Argentine creator) and "Cuevana.com" [the news' reporter spotted the following error: the web page cuevana.com does not exist and explained that perhaps the lawyers surely meant cuevana.tv – Oh dear! – suing the wrong party, I am sure everyone has an anecdote on this]. The case was submitted before the Instruction Jury No.36, Secretary 123, and State Attorney's office Nº4.

But this is not all, it appears that cuevana.tv had ceased to exist – although momentarily. This was due to an injunction from a separate lawsuit filed by Turner Argentina. The District Court Judge Gustavo Caramelo Díaz issued an interim injunction ordering the Secretary of Communications and the National Communications Commission to block "access by any Internet user to the resources of the website known as Cuevana"[no .com or .tv added – safe players I will say]. Turner Argentina ( a production company) had complained about the unauthorised distribution by Cuevana of three TV series: ‘Falling Skies’, ‘BRIC’ and ‘26 personas para salvar al mundo’. The programmes are shown on the TNT and iSat pay-TV channels, both owned by Turner. While the injunction only required the blocking of these particular series, it has been reported that for over two hours the entire ‘Cuevana’ site remained inaccessible but later on, slowly beginning to resume normal services.

Will now Telefe be encourage to bring a lawsuit? Moreover, will it be this matter the last straw for Cuevana to shut down?

More info here and here.

Brazil: new numbers for patents, industrial design and geographical indications’ applications

Patricia Covarrubia December 12, 2011 No comments:

The Patent Board (DIRPA) and the Department of Contracts, Records and Geographical Indications (DICIG) reported last week that they are going to adopt a new code for numbering of applications for patents (for inventions and utility models), industrial design and geographical indication. The new numbering code meets suggested international standards.

The new standard will be accompanied by a breakthrough also in the procedures, since the numbering of the applications will be awarded at the presentation of it. This change will allow a more effective use - a more rapid step to the formal examination of patents (inventions and utility models), industrial designs and geographical indications.

Thus, as of January 2, 2012, applications for patents (for inventions and utility models), industrial design and geographical indication shall be numbered, according to the following pattern:

BR ZZ XXXX YYYYYY K

BR (Brazil) = Country code

ZZ = nature of protection

XXXX = year of entry into the INPI

YYYYYY = numbering corresponds to the order of application filed

K = numbering of the request - checked digit

The digits corresponding to the nature of protection will refer to: invention or utility patent; industrial design ; and geographical indication.

INPI observed that applications and patents filed up to December 31, 2011 will not be renumbered.

Source INPI.

Counterfeits: not just CDs and DVDs

Patricia Covarrubia December 12, 2011 No comments:

This month the National Council to Combat Piracy and Crimes against Intellectual Property (CNCP) has reported that the last past 6 years, the value of seizures of counterfeit and smuggled products has tripled.

In 2011, the government's projection is that the values of the seizures will hit record R$ 1.7 billion, about 30% more than in 2010. The items that have been seized the most during the year are CDs, DVDs, cigarettes, sunglasses, watches, shoes and handbags. The government estimates that if such illegal practice was abolished in Brazil, the country would raise around R$ 30 billion and would generate more than 2 million jobs. Luiz Paulo Barreto, executive secretary for the Ministry of Justice said that the increase in seizures is due to border operations. He also added that “"It's a mistake to think that piracy is only restricted to CDs and DVDs” explaining that piracy is linked to organized crime and, it has become more sophisticated. According to the report, in the last three years, the number of medicines seized increased from 322 thousand to 18 million. The most commonly found are those for erectile dysfunction, anabolic steroids and anti-obesity treatment.

Source noticias terra.

Primera Exposición de Denominaciones de Origen de México

Rodrigo Ramirez Herrera @ramahr December 09, 2011 No comments:

El 5 de diciembre recién pasado tuvo lugar la inauguración de la Primera Exposición de Denominaciones de Origen, realizada en las instalaciones centrales de la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación de México (SAGARPA). La institución informó que México tienen 13 declaratorias de protección concedidas por el Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) que corresponden al Ámbar de Chiapas; Bacanora de Sonora; Café de Chiapas y de Veracruz; Charanda de Michoacán; Chile Habanero de la Península de Yucatán: Mango Ataulfo del Soconusco, Chiapas; Mezcal de Guerrero, Oaxaca, Durango, San Luis Potosí y Zacatecas; Cajitas de Olinalá, Guerrero; Sotol de Chihuahua, Coahuila y Durango; Talavera de Atlixco, Cholula, Puebla y Tecali; tequila de Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán y Tamaulipas, y vainilla de Papantla.

Las Denominaciones de Origen son una oportunidad para consolidar a los productos mexicanos en mercados internacionales y darles un valor agregado por el sólo hecho de haber sido producidos en el país, aseguró el Director General de Fomento a la Agricultura de la SAGARPA, Simón Treviño Alcántara.

En el evento, el funcionario de la SAGARPA afirmó que a través de la Subsecretaría de Agricultura se han otorgado diferentes apoyos, desde la producción primaria hasta la comercialización. “Un ejemplo de ello, son los Sistemas Productos Tequila, Mezcal, Café, Vainilla, Mango y Chile, a los que se fomenta en su competitividad”. Dentro de las actividades se encuentran los Apoyos y Servicios a la Comercialización Agropecuaria (ASERCA) por las acciones de promoción que realiza de los productos mexicanos en ferias, exposiciones y muestras nacionales e internacionales. Respeto de las DO recientemente otorgadas, como la vainilla de Papantla y el chile habanero de la Península de Yucatán, se llevan a cabo estrategias para impulsar su presencia en los mercados internacionales y para productos como café, mango ataulfo, sotol, bacanora o charanda se desarrollan esquemas para consolidar su preferencia en México y el extranjero.

El Vicepresidente de la Asociación Nacional de Denominaciones de Origen, Roberto Carlos Azuara, reconoció la labor del Gobierno Federal por el impulso a las Denominaciones de Origen, mismas que fomentan la producción. Explicó que en años recientes se ha fortalecido la presencia de los productos mexicanos, especialmente agroalimentarios, en los mercados internacionales debido a las acciones de promoción comercial que se realizan.Al evento también asistieron representantes de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores y del IMPI, así como productores de Chiapas, Guerrero y Jalisco, entre otros.

Fuente: http://www.sagarpa.gob.mx

When trade marks and company names clash: a new experience for Argentina

Jeremy December 09, 2011 No comments:

The Inspección de Personas Jurídicas, the authority in charge of approving the incorporation of legal entities in Argentina, was asked by Farmacia Ahorro SA, to approve the incorporation of a sociedad anónima under its name. Energia y Vida de Argentina SA, the proprietor of the trade mark FARMACIA DEL DR AHORRO, filed a request for this application to be rejected., relying on Article 59 of Resolution (6) IGJ (7/05), under which a company name may be rejected where it is "objectively known" by the Inspección de Personas Jurídicas to be a notorious mark.

Energia y Vida's request was initially rejected and that decision was upheld on appeal. The Inspección however considered that, as the name Farmacia Ahorro SA had already been approved by the time Energia y Vida filed its request, the matter could be decided only by the courts. An appeal has since been lodged and is currently pending.

According to Jorge Otamendi (G. Breuer) this is the first time that the Inspección has dealt with a conflict between a name and a mark. He concludes that it's not clear what lessons can be drawn from its decision though: evidence showing the notoriety of a mark filed before the company name has been approved will be considered by the Inspección, but the fact that the notoriety of the mark must be "objectively known" by the Inspección suggests that such notoriety must be of public knowledge.

Source: Farmacia Ahorro SA, Expediente de Estatuto 1.781.136 del registro de la IGJ, discussed in "Rejection of company name based on famous mark will be exceptional" by Jorge Otamendi (G Breuer, Buenos Aires, Argentina), World Trademark Review, 14 November 2011

Argentinean lionesses do defend well not only on the field

Patricia Covarrubia December 06, 2011 No comments:

The Argentinean Division II of the National Chamber for Federal Civil and Commercial upheld the ruling made in a lawsuit where the trade mark ‘las leonas’ was opposed to.

The party involved in the case was the Argentinean Confederation of Hockey on Grass and Track and the ruling authorized the team to use the trade mark "las leonas" for some of their clothing. The case was brought by the right holder of the trade mark ‘leonine’ used in shoes and sandals considering that the trade mark ‘ las leonas’ could cause confusion in the consumers eyes.

However, one of the chambermaid alleged that the name ‘las leonas’ was already a household name, gained by the female hockey team due to their fame and popularity and the use of 'las leonas' was extended to products marketed under the team’s name. He continues adding that there is a certain level of recognition and acceptance by the general public and so potential buyers of the brand ‘las leonas’ would not fall unto some confusion as to the source of the product.

In this regards, Judge Alfredo Silverio Gusman said: "The framework proposed by the plaintiff has a clear distinctive character that gives it enough merit. As such, I consider that this in itself provides a significant data for the differentiation of the words in dispute.” He explained that the lack of a conceptual element can produce confusion, but this also can contribute, if present in one of the trade marks, as an appropriate way to distinguish it – or as in this case both of the marks have a proper concept. To my English speaker, in the present case the word ‘las leonas’ is a noun in plural -name given to the female lions; while ‘leoninas’ is an adjective which refers to lionesses and which implies something that is exorbitant, excessive and in law can be used to describe a contract in which all benefit is attributed to one party.

The information was reported in several newspapers in Argentina -- see here, here and here.

IMPI closes down two commercial establishments

Patricia Covarrubia December 02, 2011 No comments:

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) taking its duties very seriously – that of safeguarding the legitimate interests of Intellectual property rights’ owners, has closed down to commercial establishments that were apparently infringing IPRs.

The first establishment is situated in Toluca. On October 12th IMPI imposed a provisional measure against JOSÉ FERNANDO NAVARRO
SÁNCHEZ. What about? The administrative action was brought by COMUNICACIONES NEXTEL DE MÉXICO, S.A. DE C.V., (registered under 682266) that provides services such as the marketing of mobile service phones and their accessories, against Jose Fernando Navarro Sanchez, to stop him using the trade mark 'NEXTEL Y DISEÑO' under which he also offered the same services as the claimant party. As Mr Navarro appeared not to have stopped using the trade mark, on 25th November, IMPI paid an inspection visit to Mr Navarro to verify compliance with the interim previously filed, however, Mr Navarro ignored the ban ordered by the IMPI, and so, IMPI gave a fine of two thousand days of the general minimum wage in Mexico City, and again ordering immediately abstain from continuing to offer its services under the aforementioned trade mark. On November 28, 2011, and since the Mr Navarro persisted in using the trade mark IMPI proceeded to close temporarily the establishment – 30 days.

On the same line, but in another town – Cuernavaca, a business was offering services under the trade mark ‘REPRESENTACIONES TURÍSTICAS BOJORQUEZ’ (TOURIST REPRESENTATIONS BOJORQUEZ). The application against this company was made by Armando de Jesus Bojorquez Patron who owns the registered mark ‘BOJORQUEZ Y DISEÑO’ for travel services (registration 660,853). Previously, IMPI imposed a fine to ‘REPRESENTACIONES TURÍSTICAS BOJORQUEZ’ for the same cause but as it kept using the trade mark IMPI is now imposing a different penalty, i.e. temporary closure of the business.

Source IMPI.
Notice of the procedure here.