IPTango

Wednesday, 17 March 2021

INTA: The U.S. Trademark Modernization Act, What Latin American Companies and Law Firms Should Know

IPTango March 17, 2021 No comments:

The International Trademark Association (INTA) will hold the webcast “The U.S. Trademark Modernization Act: What Latin American Companies and Law Firms Should Know” on 25 March 2021.

The event is addressed to trademark practitioners in Latin America. The webcast aims to “provide registrants with practical tips and watch-outs to make informed decisions and leverage the appropriate tools to maintain and enforce their trademark rights in the United States”.

The speakers are Rodrick J. Enns (Enns & Archer) and Julia C. Archer (Enns & Archer). Jenny McDowell (INTA) will moderate the session.

The event is free to INTA members, but non-members can register for $75.00.

More information is available here.

The image is courtesy of INTA.

Peru: INDECOPI announced some results derived from the agreement to protect IPRs in the digital environment signed with Mercado Libre

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo March 14, 2021 No comments:

The Peruvian National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) announced some results derived from the agreement to protect IPRs in the digital environment signed with Mercado Libre (MELI).

As Juan Cichero (Head of Brand Protection at MELI) highlighted in the interview held with IPTango last year, the e-commerce platform “provided INDECOPI with [their] monitoring and reporting tool, but unfortunately, due to the … COVID-19 lockdown, some aspects of the joined efforts had to be delayed. However, [MELI trusted] that with the normalization of the INDECOPI procedures, the enforcement [would] resume”.

Indeed, the enforcement resumed in 2020. Thus, in a press release recently published, INDECOPI indicated that 265 listings were removed from Mercado Libre in light of the cooperation agreement with the platform. Out of these, 152 ads offered counterfeit products that posed a risk to consumers’ health and safety, such as electronic devices, masks, and toys. Meanwhile, 113 listings offered beverages with the protected appellation of origin “Pisco”.

In addition to this, as part of MELI´s proactive measures, 327 warnings were issued to brand owners, so they could review the ads and report the infringement of their IP rights when it was applicable.

Considering the results obtained, INDECOPI and MELI signed an addendum to extend the cooperation agreement for a further twelve months.

Read here the press release published by INDECOPI (in Spanish).

The interview IPTango held with Juan Cichero (Head of Brand Protection at Mercado Libre) is available here.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

ATRIP Essay Competition 2020: the deadline is approaching!

IPTango March 13, 2021 No comments:

The International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) is calling for submissions for the ATRIP Essay Competition 2020.

The annual essay competition, sponsored by FICPI (the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys), is addressed to young researchers in intellectual property law.

Some of the requirements are the following:

The paper must cover IP law topics.
The paper must be written in English or French.
The paper should be no less than 5,000 words and should not exceed more than 10,000 words.
The authors should be no older than 35 years as of 31 December 2021.

The deadline for submissions is 1 April 2021.

The top three placed papers will be available on the ATRIP website with the possibility to be published in the Journal of World Intellectual Property Law.

The winning author will be invited to give a presentation (expenses paid) at the 2021 ATRIP international annual conference held in November at Seoul National University School of Law, Seoul, the Republic of Korea.

Review more information here.

Image by Free-Photos on Pixabay.

México: Premio IMPI a la invención mexicana 2021

IPTango March 03, 2021 No comments:

El Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) publicó la convocatoria del Premio IMPI a la invención mexicana 2021.

Podrán participar en la convocatoria personas de nacionalidad mexicana dedicadas a la invención (sin afiliación) o que pertenezcan a una institución pública o privada de educación media superior o superior; centro de investigación; o micro, pequeña y mediana empresa ubicada en México.

Asimismo, los participantes deberán contar con un título de patente, modelo de utilidad o diseño industrial, otorgado de enero de 2019 a 2021 o con una solicitud de patente, modelo de utilidad o diseño industrial presentada ante el IMPI a la que se le haya notificado que procede su otorgamiento (oficio de cita a pago).

Se otorgará un premio en cada una de las siguientes categorías:

Patente
Modelo de utilidad
Diseño industrial
Innovación para micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (patente, modelo de utilidad o diseño industrial)

Los premios serán entregados en el marco de día mundial de la propiedad intelectual. La fecha límite para participar es el 19 de marzo de 2021.

Las bases de la convocatoria pueden consultarse aquí.

Fuente: sitio web del IMPI, consultado el 3 de marzo de 2021.

Imagen de Gerd Altmann en Pixabay.

Peru: strategic support to inventions and sciences

Patricia Covarrubia March 02, 2021 No comments:

While the pandemic keeps hitting hard all markets in the world, the Peruvian national IPO, INDECOPI, reported so many news in the month of February 2021 that reassures that ‘the show must go on’.

There were plenty of good news related to patents. For instance, the research and development done by national universities amounted to 213 patent applications last year. There were in total 37 universities that applied for patents, 10 of which applied for patents for the first time.
INDECOPI reports that this is the result of the work carried out by its department the Directorate of Inventions and New Technologies (DIN). The department leads, creates and consolidates a culture of patents within Peruvian universities. There are other programs running that provides support on innovation such as “the National Network of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (CATI Network); the 'Virtual Training and Accompaniment Course for the Identification and Registration of Intellectual Property in Universities', carried out in collaboration with the Program PMESUT of the Ministry of Education, the National Contest of Inventions, the Patent Program (Modality Academic and Research Centers); the Free Talks and Training Program providing direct advice for the preparation of Regulations and Intellectual Property Strategies; among others.” (more info here)

‘Women in Sciences’: the INDECOPI reports that the participation of Peruvian woman in inventions and research is growing. In 2020, 36% of patent applications were filed by, or where participation came from, female inventors. In 2020, the INDECOPI run a special competition 'Patents against COVID-19' and received 313 projects, with 45 winners of which 21 have already obtained their patents -- 28% belong to women. (more info here). The cherry on the top comes from 28 Peruvian women who triumphed in the 13^th International Women's Invention Exposition in South Korean – KIWI 2020. The 28 inventors presented 18 inventions related to health, the environment and biodiversity, construction and architecture, as well as creations related to the use of waste from agribusiness. They proudly received 5 gold, 8 silver, and 4 bronze medals as well as two special awards. (more info here). To hear from them and their inventions, check their videos here (Spanish) – I learned about the e-nose that is used to assess ‘Pisco’ (spirit drink), which is a denomination of origin in Peru.

The INDECOPI together with the National Council of Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (CONCYTEC) have for the second year, launched a ‘patent fund’ to finance its registration at international level -- up to 25,000 Peruvian soles (approx. 5,686 euros). Applications are accepted till April 14, 2021. To learn more about this fund click here and here.

Finally, Peru has a virtual ‘window shopping’ for inventions known as the 'Peruvian Patent Marketplace' - here. There are 237 national creations “seeking to get local and international business partners and business opportunities to enter the market”. There are so many that I felt truly like ‘shopping’. I was curious to learn about the ‘portable disinfection device for disposable facial mask’. The reality is that many countries do have a shortage of new disposable masks, be it for the health personnel or society in general. The inventions is an alternative for reusing disposable mask by means of UV Radiation, and resulting in a mask that can be used up to 10 times more. I would like to extend the aim to all disposable mask to have this process reducing the quantity of mask ending in the bin - sadly sometimes in the roads, pavements, rivers and oceans.

Encounter 10: Fostering a Dynamic IP System Based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

IPTango March 01, 2021 No comments:

On 2 March 2021, FIDE (Legal and Business Research Foundation) and TIPSA (Transatlantic Intellectual Property Academy) will hold the Encounter 10: Fostering a Dynamic IP System Based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The panellists are Professors Edward Kwakwa (WIPO) and Peter Yu (Texas A&M University). The moderator of the session is Professor Miriam Allena (Bocconi University).

The suggested readings and the report on the session will be available on the Global Digital Encounters (GDE) website as time goes by.

The Encounter is offered free of charge, but registration is required. Register here now!

If you missed previous Encounters or you want to watch them again, click here.

Credit: Image is courtesy of FIDE.

UPDATE 3 March 2021: the recording of Encounter 10 is available here.

MAPI: Tercera Edición del Premio Propiedad Intelectual

IPTango February 28, 2021 No comments:

La convocatoria de la tercera edición del Premio Propiedad Intelectual ha sido publicada por el Máster de Propiedad Intelectual, Industrial y Nuevas Tecnologías (MAPI) de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Algunos de los requisitos que los trabajos deberán cumplir son los siguientes:

Los trabajos deberán ser inéditos y estar escritos en español.
Deberán contar con una extensión mínima de 40 páginas y máxima de 70 páginas.
Los trabajos deberán enviarse al correo electrónico master.propiedadintelectual@uam.es en formato Word y PDF.

El premio es de €3,500 y el trabajo del ganador será publicado en la Revista de Propiedad Intelectual.

La fecha límite para el envío de trabajos es el 30 de septiembre de 2021.

Las bases de la convocatoria pueden consultarse aquí.

Imagen de StartupStockPhotos en Pixabay.

New website: Global Digital Encounters

IPTango February 20, 2021 No comments:

The new website dedicated to the Global Digital Encounters (GDE) was launched some days ago.

FIDE (Legal and Business Research Foundation) and TIPSA (Transatlantic Intellectual Property Academy) organize the GDE to “support the international, European and national plans to overcome the sanitary and financial consequences of the COVID-19”. The Encounters are scheduled throughout the whole year around the topic “The role of IP in a new post-crisis world”.

The new website includes the following sections:

The Team composed of Professor Laurent Manderieux (co-director), Professor Manuel Desantes (co-director), Professor Javier Fernández-Lasquetty (academic coordinator) and Álvaro Arribas (technical coordinator).
The Encounters. This section includes information about each Encounter, the recording, suggested readings, and the report on such a session.
Our Publications. This section comprises all the reports on the Encounters.
The Academy Family refers to all the Encounters’ speakers and moderators, who are “worldwide known Academics and IP Senior Specialists from all continents”.
The Support Team of the Encounters
Support Entities of the Encounters. IPTango is pleased to be one of them!

Have a look at the new website!

Credit: Image is courtesy of FIDE.

WIPO Academy: DL Advanced Courses in 2021

IPTango February 14, 2021 No comments:

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is offering the following advanced courses as part of the Distance Learning (DL) Program:

Copyright and Related Rights (DL-201)
Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions (DL-203)
Patents (DL-301)
Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (DL-302)
Arbitration and Mediation Procedure under the WIPO Rules (DL-317)
Patent Information Search (DL-318)
Basics of Patent Drafting (DL-320)
Intellectual Property Management (DL-450)
Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Collective Management Organizations (DL-503)
Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Policy Makers (DL-506)
Software Licensing Including Open Source (DL-511)
Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation – WHO, WIPO, WTO Executive Course on the intersections between public health, intellectual property and trade (DL701)

The courses are available in different languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

As time goes by, WIPO will also offer the following courses in 2021:

The Essentials of Patents (DL-170)
E-Tutorial on Using Patent Information (DL-177)
Specialized Course on the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (DL-303)
Executive Course on IP and Genetic Resources in the Life Sciences (DL-427)
Executive Course on IP and Exports (DL-730)

Review here more information about the courses: click on “Course Catalog” and then select the language.

Source: WIPO.

Image by LEEROY Agency on Pixabay.

Call for Chapter Intangible Cultural Heritage and Intellectual property

Patricia Covarrubia February 10, 2021 No comments:

*Intangible Cultural Heritage and Intellectual property*

If you have expertise in these areas, I would love you to contribute to the book Transboundary Heritage and Intellectual Property Law: Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Routledge, 2021)

You will be invited to write a chapter (8,000 words -- all inclusive: footnotes and bibliography). Drafts are due by the 31st of April 2021 (for internal peer-review purposes). If you would like to co-author the piece with someone, this is also welcome.

To maximize the potential impact of the volume in connecting transboundary heritage studies more firmly to intellectual property law, I kindly ask you to consider a chapter on ‘ownership’ bearing in mind that the book is interdisciplinary, so contemplate a reader that has no law background. I ask you to reflect on the following matters when drafting your chapter:

1. Concepts of property rights, possession rights and responsibilities; including collective rights, and control access. This should focus on key legal concepts.

2. Desires for access and control over traditional knowledge, and genetic resources.

3. Traditional proprietary system and how they operate in different contexts, for instance: civil law, common law, national law, international law, and customary law.

4. How does the law operate in practice in relation to transboundary intangible cultural heritage?

5. What are the flaws of the system? Suggestions to improve are welcome.

6. Please provide short examples if possible or you can develop the chapter on a case study.

Finally, if you would like to contribute, please submit an abstract of 400 words to me by the 8th of March, 2021. This will allow the editor to give some guidance at the early stages of preparation of the manuscript. In your abstract, please include the central thesis and the structure. Also, include a short biography and contact details.

Patricia Covarrubia

patricia.covarrubia@buckingham.ac.uk

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.