Andean Community countries will have a database of trade marks in the subregion

Today, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (CAN) and IP Key LA, implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office, announced the launch of a technological tool that will allow users to access information on trade marks registered in the subregion.

The tool, referred to as the ‘CAN TMview’ system, will have a completely personalised, free, easy-to-navigate and user-friendly interface, implemented as part of the aforementioned cooperation project.

Information on brands in Colombia and Peru is already available via https://www.tmdn.org/tmview-can/, while Ecuador is in the process of joining and Bolivia is expected to do the same in the foreseeable future.

The General Secretary of the Andean Community, Jorge Hernando Pedraza, emphasised that the implementation of this innovative tool complies with the provisions of Article 270 of Decision 486, which established that the Member Countries of the CAN must implement a computer system on industrial property rights, interconnecting their respective databases.

"I am grateful for the cooperation of IP Key and EUIPO, because it strengthens the Andean Digital Agenda that is promoted by CAN. This will make available to the 111 million citizens and intellectual property offices, a unified and free search engine for Andean brands," he said.

Pedro Duarte, project leader of IP Key LA, explained that ‘CAN TMview’ will be very useful for small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Union that intend to invest or are already investing in the Andean region.

In addition, Duarte highlighted this initiative as one that would support CAN in its efforts to create an integrated market and an intellectual property framework.

‘The goal is to continue improving the transparency, predictability and accessibility of intellectual property in the countries of the Andean Community, in addition to taking a step forward in modernising the practices of intellectual property offices towards a more user-friendly environment,’ he said.

It should be noted that this tool is similar to ‘TMview’, the world’s largest free trade mark search engine, currently managed by the European Union.