Newsletter - Latin America IP SME Helpdesk

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

Our new Factograph explains the main intellectual property particularities in El Salvador.

This new factograph provides insights into the crucial intellectual property (IP) rules as well as recent IP milestones in Guatemala.

Argentina IP Country Factsheet is now available also in French!

The Latin America IP SME Helpdesk joins forces with a new collaborator: Eureka, a network of ministries and funding agencies for international cooperation in R&D and innovation, present in over 45 countries. Eureka provides access to public funding for international R&D projects to SMEs. Eureka also launches a call for market exploration projects once a year with their Innowwide programme, where innovative SMEs from Europe explore new markets in Africa, the Americas, Asia or Oceania. For the SMEs considering applying to one of Eureka’s funding programmes, we can offer guidance on how to manage the IP assets effectively in Latin American markets.

The National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI) of Uruguay has officially launched its new public search platform for trade marks and patents, equipped with advanced search filters that allow users to access customised content based on their preferences. The platform also includes a phonetic search engine for trade marks, which enables users to search for similarities on their own.

DesignClass stands out as a valuable search and translation tool for the product indicators required to apply for design protection. On 29 January 2024, the Registry of Intellectual Property of Guatemala (RPI-GT) announced its decision to join DesignClass. This decision means that Guatemala will adopt the Harmonised Database of Product Indications (HDBPI) terms listed in DesignClass.

Find out more about the latest updates in the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BRPO) regarding technical examination of patent applications, changes in the administrative opposition phase as well as new rules for annuity payments.

At the end of 2023, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presented a new manual for the examination of trade marks in the Andean countries. This manual, the result of two years of joint work, aims to improve the quality of trade mark registration services in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

On 19 February, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Working Group at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) approved a proposal from Brazil's National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) to improve the digitalisation process for international applications.

The Dominican Republic's National Industrial Property Office (ONAPI) has inaugurated the Technology and Innovation Support Centre (CATI) at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), in order to provide innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs with easier access to information on industrial property. This initiative aims to boost the country through intellectual property and technological innovation.

Latin America IP Helpdesk will attend the MWC Barcelona, one of the largest and most influential events for the connectivity ecosystem. The one time of year where global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, content owners come together under one roof. Meet us in Barcelona from February 28th to 29th to learn more about our services related to intellectual property protection and management.

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.

The International IP SME Helpdesks in collaboration with the Enterprise European Network (EEN) will host a series of training sessions to provide European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and stakeholder actors with an overview of the relevance of intellectual property (IP) rights for a variety of sector and relevant IP clauses, with special focus on the most remarkable particularities of Africa, China, India, Latin America and South-East Asia. This session will mainly focus on how to use IP rights to negotiate and establish agreements with other companies.

After two training sessions focusing on trademarks and patents, we are happy to invite you to the final session of the series jointly organised by Latin America IP SME Helpdesk and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This session will provide insights into the Design system in Latin American countries, requirements, benefits as well as the drawbacks of the international system.

In this session, we will explore the challenges that women-owned businesses encounter when striving to adequately protect their intellectual property (IP). It is crucial for these businesses to comprehend the impact of IP protection and to undertake strategic measures to safeguard their innovations, brands, and creative works. By doing so, they can ensure their long-term success and competitiveness in the marketplace.

Discover the critical role of intellectual property (IP) in various creative domains, especially within the digital landscape, by joining our upcoming training on IP protection for European small and medium enterprises and content creators active in, or venturing into the Latin American market. Gain insights into different types of IP rights and strategies to safeguard your assets against unauthorized usage in Latin American countries.

The Future of Food – Sustainable FoodTech Solutions matchmaking event will be held at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany. It's a top international trade fair covering all aspects of food and beverage processing. Our team will be heading to Cologne to participate in the trade fair and its b2b event to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property (IP) protection in Latin America.

This webinar is tailored for European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) either currently operating in or intending to enter the Latin American market. Participants will gain valuable insights into managing and leveraging intellectual property rights across Latin American countries, covering trademarks, patents, designs, and copyright.