06/02/22 – Andean Community – Trademarks
On 6 May 2022, the Court of Justice of the Andean Community issued a Preliminary Ruling reviewing, among other things, exports as evidence of trademark use within a cancellation proceeding for non-use. The Court highlighted that exporting products, identified with a trademark from Andean Community member countries, constitutes proof of use of the trademark when said exporting meets two conditions: Products are exported from any of the Member Countries to any country. Exportation is performed within market conditions according to quantity and modality corresponding to the nature of the product. The above allows for the protection of trademarks currently being used in contract manufacturing or that are used by companies engaged in export activities in any of the member countries of the Andean Community. Original source in Spanish.
06/02/22 – IP&T
As a concerted effort to improve Colombia’s economy and healthcare, and seeking to accelerate the country’s transition to high-tech industries and services, both the Ministry of Sci-Tech/Innovation and Public Health initiated a call for financial support in programs intended to strengthen domestic capacities in developing and producing vaccines and all associated technologies. The call summons Higher Education Institutions, Research Centers, R&D Corporations in the industry to create alliances and generate proposals to be co-financed in up to 70 to 85%, with a USD 4 million cap. The first call for proposals will be open through 16 June 2022. To enter your organization and upload your proposal, please access the following platform: https://plataformasigp.minciencias.gov.co:7003/Entidades/ Original Source in Spanish.
06/02/22 – Corporate
On 23 May 2022, a Merger Agreement was signed between the stock exchanges of Colombia, Chile and Peru to form the largest capital market in Latin America. The next step is for all stakeholders who signed the agreement to initiate all prepping activity in each country, in order to meet all commitments agreed to for the implementation and improvement of regional integration. Original Source in Spanish.
06/02/22 – Copyright
The European Commission urged 15 of its member countries (Greece, Portugal and France, to name a few), to fully transpose into their legislation the rules contained in Directive Nos. 2019/278 and 2019/790, which aim to ensure fairer remuneration for right holders, increase access to protected online content and ancillary services such as broadcasting and retransmission of radio and television programs, through the regulation of digital and cross-border content use.
