INTA Signs MOU with Brazil’s INPI, Congratulates ABPI on 50 Years

As part of INTA’s 2010–2013 Strategic Plan goal of developing cooperative relationships with other IP offices and governments, President Toe Su Aung last month signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Jorge de Costa Avila, President of the National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI), during a delegation to visit Brazil. The MOU commits INTA and INPI to cooperating on joint educational and training programs to help improve trademark systems and procedures, especially opposition proceedings. The document also outlines the organizations’ shared goals of promoting mediation in trademark disputes and protecting trademarks online.

During her visit, Ms. Aung represented INTA at the Brazilian Intellectual Property Association’s (ABPI’s) 33rd International Congress on Intellectual Property. The well-organized and well-attended conference provided Ms. Aung and other delegation members the opportunity to meet with Latin American members of INTA and also to network with leaders of regional associations including ABPI and ASIPI (Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property).

The Congress in Rio de Janeiro marked ABPI’s 50th anniversary, and Ms. Aung offered congratulations on the milestone to ABPI President Luiz Henrique O. Do Amaral (Dannemann Siemsen Bigler & Ipanema Moreira), First Vice President Elisabeth E. G. Kasznar Fekete (Kasznar Leonardos Propriedade Intelectual) and Second Vice President Eduardo Paranhos Montenegro (Microsoft Informática Ltda).

Among the plenary sessions at the conference, Ms. Aung took part in a session on recent developments in protection of brands. Her remarks emphasized the importance of streamlining trademark office processes and harmonizing trademark filing, and she encouraged Brazil to accede to the Madrid Protocol.

While some Latin American countries have expressed concern about signing on to the Madrid System, Ms. Aung noted that Colombia and Mexico have recently become members. In Brazil, the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade has approved the country’s accession to the Protocol, but Congress must still consider and approve the legislation.

Ms. Aung (pictured with fellow panelists) added that Madrid accession has not caused any great disruption in trademark practice for member countries. “In fact, by providing another option for trademark owners to protect their marks in other jurisdictions, the trademark legal community has discovered new and lucrative ways to serve their clients,” said Ms. Aung. “Law firm business has actually grown, not diminished.”

Former ABPI President Jose Antonio Faria Correa (Dannemann Siemsen Bigler & Ipanema Moreira, Brazil) agreed that Madrid accession would benefit Brazil’s trademark owners, but warned that INPI must improve examination timing and quality in order for Madrid to be effective. INPI’s Mr. Avila, who also took part in the discussion, said that INPI has recently hired many more examiners and assured attendees that the situation would be greatly improved within 1.5 years, according to session moderator, Mario Augusto Soerensen Garcia (Soerensen Garcia Advogados Associados, Brazil).

INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo, who also joined the Brazil delegation, said he looked forward to working closely with INPI in the months to come: “INTA welcomes INPI’s management efforts to recruit and train new examiners to speed the registration process and reduce backlogs, which will in turn prepare the Office for a more international environment.”

(Source: INTA Bulletin)