Newsletter - Latin America IP SME Helpdesk

During the ExpHotel 2023 our team had a chance to meet with Sergio Rubio, the Deputy Director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. In this video, Sergio Rubio highlights the role of Chamber of Commerce in assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) relocate to Mexico as well as their views on EU-funded services provided by the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk.

INAPI, the National Institute of Industrial Property in Chile has introduced a groundbreaking Green Patent Program aimed at expediting the patent application process for environmentally friendly innovations. This initiative seeks to reduce the average processing time for green patents by up to a third, providing a faster and more efficient route for innovators to secure protection for their sustainable developments.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Global Awards program has announced the results of its 2023 competition, celebrating winners who have used intellectual property (IP) not just for business success, but also as catalyst for economic, social, and cultural impact. This year small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from China, France, Kenya, Mexico, Singapore, and Slovenia are the winners of the second edition of the annual competition.

The National Institute of Industrial Property in Chile (INAPI) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have signed a Reinforced Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a duration of 5 years. The MoU encompasses an agreement on a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) as well as further aspects the cooperation ties between the two Offices that fulfil the role of ISA/IPEA of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has just published a report titled "Intellectual Property Offices and Sustainable Innovation - Implementing the SDGs in National Intellectual Property Systems" with the aim of identifying examples of intellectual property (IP) offices using best practises to support the accomplishment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). According to the report, Latin American countries use their IP systems to take some important steps towards proactively addressing the region's social and environmental concerns.

The CarIPI has recently published a manual "Types of Marks and Distinctiveness of Trade Marks." This manual serves as a comprehensive guide for both trademark applicants and examiners on understanding different types of marks and how to assess their distinctiveness during the examination process, particularly focusing on absolute grounds for registration.

Given that we live in a globally connected economy that allows for global business, intellectual property rights (IPRs) play a critical role in electronic commerce in today's digital economy. Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team recently published two-parts blog post highlighting the important aspects of IP in e-commerce in Latin American countries.

The recent decision by Indecopi Peru to reduce the trademark registration fee by 25% for micro and small companies is a significant step in supporting and promoting intellectual property rights (IPRs) for small businesses in the country. This reduction in registration fees will likely encourage more micro and small companies to seek trademark protection, enabling them to safeguard their brands and products in the marketplace.

Sweden Brazil Collaboration 2023 is a long term matchmaking event where Swedish and European/SMP small and medium enterprises (SMEs), startups and Business Support Organisations (BSOs), will have the opportunity to connect with potential partners from Brazil. Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team will actively participate in both matchmaking sessions (online and in-person) to present the free EU-funded services on intellectual property (IP) protection and management to the target audience.

Fi South America is an annual trade show and exhibition taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that showcases the latest trends, innovations, and developments in the food and beverage industry within the South American region. Our team will be present at the trade fair to introduce the services provided by the Latin America IP Helpdesk to the EU/SMP small and medium enterprises (SMEs) interested in, or already doing business in the region.