Newsletter - Latin America IP SME Helpdesk

Take a look at our new Factograph including the recent intellectual property milestones in Argentina!

Our new Factograph explains the main intellectual property particularities in Mexico.

Check out our Nicaragua Country IP Factsheet, a comprehensive document covering all IP-related issues you should know before doing business in the country.

Chile IP Country Factsheet is now available also in French!

Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team just published a new blog post focusing on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Argentina. The blog post explains the differences between Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), GDPR and the “Draft Law” which is currently with the National Congress of Argentina pending approval. Happy reading!

A Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) cooperation facilitates the collaboration of intellectual property (IP) offices and enables a multilateral work-sharing agreement. The Chilean National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have announced the launch of a pilot PPH program aimed at ensuring efficient patent examination, in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of the international patent system, as well as to foster innovation and bilateral investment between Europe and Chile.

Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) has announced its accession to the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Global Trademark Database. This decision, which is in line with the INPI's Strategic Plan 2023-2026, involves the exchange of Brazilian trademark data and represents an important step towards its consolidation at the global level.

In a significant turn of events, the Federal Court of Administrative Justice (TFJA) has overturned the previous interpretation of the Mexican Patent Office (IMPI), in three successive rulings, and established new guidelines for the patentability of modern plant breeding techniques. ´The recent rulings establish a legal precedent in Mexico for the definition of "essentially biological processes" under the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property of 2020. Although this law does not provide clear criteria, the TFJA decisions offer a positive outlook for those seeking protection for plant-related inventions using biotechnological techniques.

Chile's National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) announced a new collaboration with the European Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) project AL-INVEST Verde to promote the use of IP for economic and technological growth. In addition to the new collaboration, the Institution also implemented free downloading of trademark registration titles as part of the State's digital transformation measures. Finally, in a ceremony held at the Embassy of Italy in Chile, INAPI's National Director presented the official registration recognising the unique features of Gorgonzola cheese to the Consorzio per la tutela del Formaggio Gorgonzola group. Following this, INAPI clarified that only blue cheese from Lombardy and Piedmont in Italy can be sold as Gorgonzola in Chile.

Uruguay opens its doors to a broader spectrum of trademarks in response to the changing landscape of technology and digitalisation. As of 1 March 2024, four non-traditional trade mark categories will be introduced in line with Resolution 18/2023 of the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI).

This training session aims to provide valuable insights and guidance on effectively safeguarding and managing intellectual property (IP) rights in the Brazilian market. The experts will highlight the crucial techniques for monitoring and tracking potential infringements of IP rights in Brazil as well as important strategies to identify unauthorized use of patents, trademarks, and copyrighted material.

Jointly organised with European Partnership for Auxiliary Wine industry Innovation (EPAWI) and Latin America IP SME Helpdesk, this webinar will specifically focus on intellectual property protection in wine industry in Chilean market. Our experts will provide valuable tips and tricks for the European small and medium enterprises that would like to achieve success in this specific sector in Chile.

In collaboration with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Argentinian Chamber of Commerce and Services (CAC), Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team is organising a virtual session which will introduce the business climate in Bulgaria and Argentina, to identify investment opportunities, potential sectors for cooperation, as well as to present information about intellectual property (IP) protection in Latin America.

This training session intends to explore intellectual property rights (IPR) and the challenges that European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) encounter when venturing into the Brazilian construction market. It will offer valuable perspectives on the various types of IPRs accessible, their significance for SMEs, and the factors to consider when determining whether to seek official protection.

Organised by Tecnocampus and the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk, this training session will discuss how to use intellectual property (IP) rights to negotiate and establish agreements with other companies, types of commercial agreements in which IP plays a fundamental role and how to protect the commercial interests in Latin American countries against infringements and imitations. The event will be held in Spanish.

This event seeks to offer valuable insights and advice on efficiently utilising market places tools to establish a secure environment for both sellers and buyers in Brazil in Mexico. The participants will have chance to learn more about effective methods for asserting and defending the intellectual property rights in market places.

Joining forces with he World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team organises a training series on how to acquire intellectual property rights (IPRs) in Latin American countries through international mechanism. The goal of this training series is to assist participants in leveraging IPRs in Latin America. The first session will provide an overview on Trademarks, including requirements, benefits and drawbacks of the international system.

Following the first session of the training series "How to Acquire IP Rights in Latin America Through International Mechanism?" jointly organised by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Latin America IP SME Helpdesk, this second session will specifically focus on patents. It will spotlight the requirements, advantages, and potential disadvantages in the global system.