IP Key Latin America - Official launch in Mexico City

Today the project IP Key Latin America is officially launched at the Hotel Camino Real Polanco in Mexico City. The launching event is attended by Mr Miguel Ángel Margáin, Director General of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), Mrs Immaculada Roca i Cortes, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Mexico, Mr Javier Moreno, Head of International Cooperation Service from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Antonio Berenguer, team leader of EU-Funded projects, EUIPO.

IP Key Latin America is represented by Mr Ricardo Ferreira, deputy project leader in Mexico, and Ana-Maria Harda, responsible for the communication, both from the EUIPO. Key speakers also include representatives of the Mercosur Chamber of Commerce and Latin America Union (CCM-ULA), the Chamber of Commerce of Panama (Panacamara), and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT).

Directed by the European Commission and implemented by the EUIPO, IP Key aims to facilitate economic exchanges, trade and investment between EU and Latin America, while developing a level playing field as regards IP protection. IP Key will provide support to EU firms seeking for business opportunities or already doing business in Latin America through a range of activities. Overall, the project is designed to strengthen IP protection and raise awareness about its importance as a driver of economic growth.

Through close cooperation with Latin American stakeholders and the involvement of the industry, academia, enforcement and judicial authorities, the IP Key project will:

• Cover the full intellectual property lifecycle;
• Encompass a wide spectrum of IP rights; patents, trade marks, designs, geographical indications, copyright, trade secrets and plant varieties;
• Focus on IP enforcement, collaborating with enforcement authorities to train Latin American judges dealing with intellectual property matters;
• Provide and extend access to online IP search database to increase the global transparency of IP rights.