#Argentina
The Delegation in Buenos Aires kicked off with an examiner training session with the National Institute of Industrial Property of Argentina (INPI).
Featuring members Federico Berger (Ferrer, Reyes, Tellechea, & Bouche, Argentina), Chair of the Latin America Subcommittee of INTA’s Non-Traditional Marks Committee), and fellow subcommittee member Graciela Perez de Inzaurraga (Hausheer Belgrano & Fernández, Argentina), the training focused on discussing three-dimensional marks and distinctiveness with more than 30 examiners, including an introduction by INPI Legal Advisor, Hernan Cabaleiro on the current IP landscape in Argentina.
Next was a meeting with INPI President Mario Aramburu and Mr. Cabaleiro. Mr. Aramburu informed the Delegation about the various initiatives taking place within INPI.
He emphasized projects such as “PROSUR,” a community framework agreement among the countries of South America that intends to facilitate, harmonize and improve industrial property proceedings in the region, as well as “Mi Primer Registro,” an innovation initiative targeted at encouraging first time applicants to register their trademarks and/or patents. INTA strongly supports these programs and looks forward to working with INPI on future trainings and collaboration projects.
Finding ways to control the production and transit of counterfeit goods was a constant theme in the meetings in Argentina.
At he meeting with the Argentine Confederation of Medium Companies (Confederacion Argentina de la Mediana Empresa), the Delegation sat down with the Secretary of Public and Institutional Relations, Fabian Xavier Castillo, and Secretary General José A. Bereciartúa to discuss the growth of counterfeit production in Argentina—in particular via mini “La Salada” markets, known as “Saladitas.” (La Salada is Buenos Aires’ largest informal market and is famous for hosting counterfeit products). Moreover, the Delegation learned about the economic, political and social strength of small and medium-sized enterprises in Argentina, which make up roughly 93 percent of production in the country, and how some of them, including national fashion brand Cardon, are the most widely counterfeited brands in Argentina.
The Delegation also spoke with the National Customs Office of Argentina (Direccion Nacional de Aduanas) within the Federal Administration of Public Revenue (AFIP). The Director General of the Customs Office, the Deputy Director of Customs and the Legal Advisor to the Director of the AFIP discussed the increasing amount of counterfeit production passing through the borders. That same day, the office had seized 50 tons (two containers) and 115,000 units of counterfeit goods. INTA supports the measures the office is taking to combat the growth of illegal trade, such as the Alert System for Trademark Fraud and the online database that keeps track of seized goods through the AFIP.
The Delegation then visited the Argentine Association of Intellectual Property Agents (AAAPI) at their new official office location, where INTA hosted a roundtable in collaboration with AAAPI on online counterfeiting during the 2015 Interpol Conference in September. The next stop on the trip was at the Argentine Chamber of Commerce, whose member companies make up 60 percent of the entire country’s GDP, to discuss ways to innovate and bring awareness to the importance of trademarks with new entrepreneurs and business owners in Argentina.
The remainder of the Argentina trip included meetings and discussions regarding the possibility of future collaboration and trainings with the President of the Federal Appellate Chamber and the President of the Association of Magistrates and Judicial Officials. The Delegation also hosted a membership reception with approximately 50 attendees from INTA’s membership base in Argentina.
The Delegation was very pleased with the turnout and thanks the Association’s Delegation members for all their support.
Fuente: www.inta.org/globalreport
