IPTango

Wednesday, 15 June 2022

Peru: QR codes for Collective Marks and enhancing Micro Enterprises

Patricia Covarrubia June 15, 2022 No comments:

As part of the project run by the Peruvian IPO (INDECOPI), that is ‘Collective Marks Brand Promotion’, the office continues to advertise that by registering a collective mark, INDECOPI designs and produce their QR code for free.

Such QR code will allow customers to learn about the association or cooperative that owns the collective mark and of course to learn about the product offered e.g., the product’s characteristics, its history, membership (who they are), business contact details, in what market the products are traded, etc.

Micro enterprises

In general, as any other IPO office, the INDECOPI provides a good platform aiming to favour ‘economic reactivation of entrepreneurs, businessmen and micro enterprises in the country’. That said, this month, it prepared an event where 222 registrations of collective marks were handed in. It is therefore noticeable that INDECOPI continues to provide a helping hand to micro enterprises which are abundant in the country, especially in the artisanal sector and other rural productions. [micro enterprises have at mots 10 employees. As a curious note, small and medium enterprises represent 99% of all business in the European Union , yet in 2021 micro-enterprises have a turnover of Euro2 million – see the European Commission report here). In Peru, there is an exemption from the payment of the fee for processing the collective mark applications which was in force until September 2019 -- such payment was definitively eliminated in December 2020.

INDECOPI reports that up to April 2022, there are 5761 collective marks registered noting that many of these association and cooperatives are formed by women.

More info click here [in
Spanish]

Brazil: Patents and Transgenic Plants

Patricia Covarrubia June 14, 2022 No comments:

The Brazilian IPO (INPI) has initiated a public consultation on the Nota Técnica CPAPD nº 01/2022. The Nota ‘aims to define the guidelines to be followed by its examiners in the examination of patentability of inventions associated with transgenic plants’, specifically ‘elite event’.

Art 2 of the consultation welcomes suggestions and critiques related to the note and invite these to be submitted to cpapd.patentes@inpi.gov.br (deadline 30 days from 31 May 2022). After the deadline, and in accordance with Art 3 of the note, INPI will present the contributions provided by the consultation together with the final text. Click on the note to read the consultation publication [Portuguese]

The Nota Técnica CPAPD nº 01/2022 can be found here. [Portuguese]

The application of genetic transformation technology and the role of patents have been discussed for decades, in particular the matter of patentability of ‘living organism’ (biotechnology) and the ‘public-good breeding’. A technical understanding is needed as the requirements of novelty (new) and inventive step (non-obvious) are crucial. Moreover, whether the subject matter can be patentable. In any case, Brazil is a member of the international union for the protection of new varieties of plants (UPOV Convention) since 1999 and thus, have laws on plant variety protection in line with such international Convention.

Cisgenic tress by Oregon State University

In principle, biological matter is not patentable (in Brazil this is so by Art 18(III) of the Industrial Property Law – Law No 9.279/96). However, it does not mean that an invention is not patentable just because the product and or process contain biological material. Here is then when it gets complicated and thus, the guidelines are welcome.

Article One of the CPAPD nº 01/2022 starts by providing a definition of what ‘elite event’ means. This is done by FIVE criteria, as follow:

1)the event transforms a plant

2) through the insertion of a transgene

3) by using a genetic construct

4) been stable, in which the insertion took place at a specific location in the plant genome, and

5) gives the plant a superior technical effect when compared to other transformation.

Because transgenic plants are the ‘inventive concept’ that links to the ‘accessory ones’, there is the need to discuss the potential patentability of the additional inventions that derive from the main invention.

Source INPI.

Peru: Football and Intellectual Property

Patricia Covarrubia June 13, 2022 No comments:

This week we have two news related to football. The world cup always brings some technological advances that result in better sporting equipment e.g., Brazuca (the official ball of the 2014 World Cup that was invented to improve the aerodynamics and to make it water resistant). Adidas has been championing the football ball, but we do not hear much about small ‘players’, are they also innovating? Hernan Garrido Lecca, a Peruvian writer, producer, and inventor this year obtained a ‘utility model’ patent (Resolution N°000889-2022/DIN-INDECOPI) for ‘a highly competitive football jersey that helps players "kill the rebound" when receiving the ball with their chest during long passes. Garrido is using the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to protect his invention internationally (see info here at INDECOPI).

In the same line, at the Peruvian IPO (INDECOPI) YouTube Channel, I watched ‘Dreams of Entrepreneurships’: The story of ‘Pragol’ a registered trade mark. Carla Paredes, a young woman who has always be passionate about football, grew up on an environment where football was not meant to be played by ‘girls’ – so she was told, and to play with dolls instead. Paredes, now is a entrepreneur who developed the mark ‘Pragol’ for urban clothing’. The mark is dedicated to female football fans, supporters and players and thus, a mark that inspire girls to follow their passion for football ‘without stereotypes’. Her aim is to ‘change the misperception that football is only for men’. One of her first steps was to register her mark – she notes, ‘nobody will steal this football dream from me’.

Picture adopted from Paredes's Instagram account

WIPO Podcasts on Intellectual Property (WIPODs)

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo June 11, 2022 No comments:

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has produced podcasts featuring stories and conversations on creativity, innovation, and Intellectual Property.

So far, WIPO Podcasts on Intellectual Property (WIPODs) include the following series:

WIPOD – Page Points. WIPO Knowledge Center’s collection. Conversations with authors, editors, publishers, practitioners, and academics. Episodes available:

Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence
Intellectual Property and Tourism
Intellectual Property in the Fashion Industry

WIPOD – International Trademark System Talks. It features practitioners discussing historical background, insights, and perspectives on WIPO’s Madrid System for the international registration of marks. Episodes available:

A History of Trademarks: The Birth of the Madrid Agreement
A History of Trademarks: The Road to Madrid from Paris via Rome
A History of Trademarks: From the Ancient World to the 19th Century

WIPOD – Arbitration and Mediation Matters. Conversations with practitioners, mediators, and arbitrators. It offers insights into Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods. Episodes available:

A WIPO Mediation Case Study in the Life Sciences Sector
ADR for Copyright and Content Disputes in the Digital Environment
How to Resolve IT and Software Disputes with Arbitration and Mediation

Listen to the WIPODs here!

Image by chiplanay from Pixabay.

IViR Summer Course on International Copyright Law and Policy 2022

IPTango June 03, 2022 No comments:

The Institute for Information Law (IViR) will hold the Summer Course on International Copyright Law and Policy (ICL) from 4 to 8 July 2022 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The course is taught by renowned scholars and practitioners in the field of copyright law. Faculty is composed of Bernt Hugenholtz, Pamela Samuelson, Martin Senftleben, Séverine Dusollier, Daniel Gervais, Remy Chavannes, Sean Flynn, Paul Keller and João Quintais.

ICL is addressed to lawyers, academics, and other professionals. Participants should have some prior knowledge of the area. The programme includes the following topics:

International framework of protection and policy issues
Trade and investment agreements
Authors’ rights and remuneration
Copyright exceptions and limitations
Collective administration of rights in the digital era
Copyright, data and artificial intelligence
Intermediary liability and online copyright enforcement
Copyright and open information policy: international and EU updates
Policy exercise: draft treaty on copyright exceptions for research and access to knowledge

A boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam and a welcome dinner are also part of the programme!

Credit: the image is courtesy of IViR.

Encounter 20: Standard Essential Patents

IPTango May 07, 2022 No comments:

On 11 May 2022, FIDE (Legal and Business Research Foundation) and TIPSA (Transatlantic Intellectual Property Academy) will hold the Encounter 20: Standard Essential Patents.

The panellists are Claudia Tapia (Ericsson) and Igor Nikolic (European University Institute). Professor Laurent Manderieux (Bocconi University) will moderate the session.

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: The image is courtesy of FIDE.

UPDATE: the recording of Encounter 20 is available here.

"Cómo proteger y promover su cultura – Derechos de autor"

Patricia Covarrubia March 21, 2022 No comments:

La OMPI invita a su próximo seminario dictado ‘online’ en la web. El seminario será impartido en español y es basado en su publicación "Proteja y promueva su cultura: Guía práctica sobre la propiedad intelectual para los pueblos indígenas y las comunidades locales".

Creation of a Repository of Non-English IP Titles

Patricia Covarrubia March 10, 2022 No comments:

The IPKat blog is seeking to create a Repository of IP books written in languages other than in English. Those of you who can suggest appropriate titles are encouraged to do so. More details on this initiative and the form for submitting your suggestions can be found here

Starfield Library, Seoul 2018 [by me ;)]

Amigos, el blog IPKat buscar crear un repositorio de libros de propiedad intellectual escritos en idiomas dsitintos al ingles. Se anima a aquellos de ustedes que puedan sugerir tituols apropriados a que lo hagan. Pueden encontrar mas detalles sonre esta iniciativa y el formulario para enviar sus sugerencias aqui.

Tequila: finaliza la investigación bajo el Reglamento sobre obstáculos al comercio (TBR) de la UE

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo February 06, 2022 No comments:

El 3 de febrero de 2022, la Comisión Europea anunció que finalizó formalmente su investigación sobre la denuncia referente a obstáculos al comercio en el sentido del Reglamento (UE) 2015/1843 (Reglamento sobre obstáculos al comercio, TBR en inglés) aplicados por México y consistentes en medidas que afectan la importación del Tequila. Consulta el anuncio aquí.

La denuncia

La denuncia había sido presentada por la Asociación de Cerveceros de Europa (The Brewers of Europe) debido a la decisión del Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) de “ya no [conceder] certificados de exportación a … [TdS, una empresa] que produce y exporta «Tequila» … [a una] filial de Heineken NV … [debido a que] la cerveza Desperados de Heineken (una cerveza con aroma de «Tequila» añadido) infringe la [Norma Oficial Mexicana] aplicable a la utilización de la Indicación Geográfica (IG)” Tequila.

Durante la primera etapa de la investigación de la Comisión, intervinieron 22 partes interesadas, “en su mayoría representantes de asociaciones velando por la protección de las indicaciones geográficas europeas”. En efecto, oriGIn solicitó a la Comisión el reconocimiento como parte interesada considerando las implicaciones de la disputa en cuanto a los principios de las IG.

De igual manera, el procedimiento de examen también fue discutido por el Parlamento Europeo (lea aquí la pregunta parlamentaria planteada a la Comisión Europa, y consulte aquí la respuesta, ambas en inglés).

En mayo de 2021, la Comisión Europea finalizó el procedimiento de examen de la medida aplicada por México que afecta las exportaciones del Tequila a la UE (consulta el reporte aquí). Se concluyó “que si bien la medida plantea preocupaciones sobre el cumplimiento de México respecto de las normas de la OMC, específicamente la prohibición de restricciones a la exportación, está sujeta a una serie de procedimientos administrativos pendientes que pueden conducir a la revocación o modificación de la medida. Por lo tanto, la Comisión continuará monitoreando el resultado de los distintos procedimientos y, dependiendo de su resultado, podrá reevaluar las acciones a emprender” (énfasis añadido).

En octubre de 2021, la Asociación de Cerveceros de Europa informó a la Comisión Europea que “la empresa de la UE afectada había encontrado una solución con las autoridades mexicanas, lo que permitió la eliminación de los supuestos obstáculos al comercio”. En consecuencia, retiraron la denuncia.

*El 7 de febrero de 2022, se publicó en el Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea, la Decisión de Ejecución (UE) 2022/161 de la Comisión de 3 de febrero de 2022 por la que se da por concluido el procedimiento de examen relativo a los obstáculos al comercio, en el sentido del Reglamento (UE) 2015/1843, aplicados por los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y consistentes en medidas que afectan a la importación de Tequila. Consulta aquí la Decisión de Ejecución.

El retiro de la denuncia y la finalización de la investigación por parte de la Comisión Europea suceden al acuerdo amistoso entre CRT y Heineken, luego de que CRT iniciara varias acciones legales en la Unión Europea que involucraban el uso de la palabra Tequila en la cerveza Desperados. Consulta aquí mi reporte sobre el acuerdo amistoso al que llegaron las partes.

Créditos:

La imagen es cortesía de Dante Gbn.

*Artículo actualizado el 7 de febrero de 2022.

BIICL course: Pharmaceuticals and Intellectual Property

IPTango February 05, 2022 No comments:

The British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) will hold the online course Pharmaceuticals and Intellectual Property from 4 March to 13 May 2022.

The course consists of 10 sessions via Zoom. It is addressed to legal practitioners, students, and law academics interested in the link between public health and intellectual property.

The topics include inter alia pharmaceutical industry and national systems of innovation; intellectual property and product regulation; international intellectual property and trade law; access to medicines: from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19; and alternative pharmaceutical innovation models.

The trainers are Professors Graham Dutfield (University of Leeds) and Uma Suthersanen (Queen Mary University of London).

The course cost is £700. Discounts and scholarships are available. Applications for scholarships must be submitted before 11 February 2022.

More information here.

Credit: The image is courtesy of BIICL.

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.