IPKey LA organised an online workshop aimed at identifying the measures adopted by countries that have chosen to delegate another entity to carry out DUS tests.

This event was possible thanks to the collaboration of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the Spanish Office of Plant Varieties (OEVV).

IP Key LA collaborated with WIPO and the National Service of Intelectual Rights (SENADI in spanish) on an online seminar, focused on non-traditional trade marks, on 9 and 10 November.

This online technical meeting served as a great opportunity for Latin American IPO officials and EUIPO officials to exchange on best practices in creating and updating examination guidelines.

The event reflected on how the EUIPN’s (network of EU IP offices) has implemented best practices in the creation and update of examination guidelines (which are equally accessible to examiners and users) regularly revised following the latest case law and entail a consultation process involving users associations.

In the context of a global pandemic, and with the aim of providing valuable information on the importance of intellectual property (IP) in the pharmaceutical industry, IP Key LA held an online event focused on the fight against counterfeit medicines on the basis of IP rights, highlighting the danger that counterfeit medicines pose to public health.

IP Key China collaborates very closely with the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), an agency of the European Union located in Angers, France, as well as with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), both based in the People’s Republic of China.

Due to the global pandemic most of the world’s physical stores this year have faced challenges. Meanwhile, online retail sales have experienced a dramatic increase. In China, this increase is highlighting new trends within the e-commerce environment that might once again challenge legislators and enforcers to close loopholes.

Since China’s new e-commerce law took effect on 1 January 2019, legislation has been developing around its implementation. The law covers all e-commerce activities, both domestic and cross-border, reflecting the growth of the sector. Issues around the online trade of goods and services and innovation in IP protection have become an important part of the EU’s and China’s economic, legislative and public security agenda.

To conclude the intellectual property webinar series organised by the IP Key South-East Asia (SEA) in 2020, two webinars on industrial designs were held on 1 and 2 December 2020. The webinars covered the design protection in the EU and selected countries in SEA, the need to protect designs, its contribution to the economy, and the latest developments in industrial designs. The IP Key SEA project brought together experts from the EU and SEA to present the webinar series.