Innovation, Business and Intellectual Property in Mercosur countries

Intellectual property is a powerful tool for investment, growth and job creation. Furthermore, knowing how to manage and exploit IP opens the door to innovation and competitiveness, both in Europe and in Latin America.

For this reason, IP Key Latin America has launched a series of initiatives to support companies, SMEs, universities and other economic actors, focused on the use of IPR in the different stages of the innovation process in a global context or within the framework of transnational association agreements.

The seminar on Innovation, Business and Intellectual Property, held in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, with support from national IP offices (INPI Brazil, INPI Argentina and DNPI – MIEM), and business associations such as FIESP and CIU, brought the fundamentals of IP to innovative and exporting SMEs in the country. The participants learned during the events to identify the different IP assets with which they work, develop strategies for their protection and use the knowledge related to IP in the commercialization of their goods or services, both in their own countries and in foreign markets.

IP KEY LA -represented by Pedro Duarte, project leader, and Mariano Riccheri, IP expert- shared the experience and know-how of the EU in the development of IP system participation platforms, including SMEs, innovative companies and public institutions. Coro Gutiérrez, from the OEPM, explained what internationalization represents for companies and what should be the criteria to take into account when applying for a patent, in addition to technical procedures with specific examples. On behalf of EUIPO, Begoña Uriarte Valiente described how to manage the protection of trademarks and designs at the national / regional level, through the local IP offices, at an international level through WIPO and at European level, via EUIPO, with special detail in the scope, costs and relevance.