MEXICO | Patents | Updates in the list of officially recognized institutions for the deposit of biologic material
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The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) updated the list of officially recognized institutions for the deposit of biologic material.
The 46 institutions authorized for the deposit of biological material are located in 24 countries, including 2 Latin-American countries: Mexico and Chile. The full list could be viewed here.
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COLOMBIA | Consumer Law | Regulation for the procedure to report defective products
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Decree No. 679 (2016) issued by the Ministry of Commerce now regulates the procedure and the requirements that must be met to report to the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) the existence of a defective product that has produced or could produce a threat to consumer safety.
The Decree specifies: (i) the requirements for the recognition of a defective product; (ii) the measures to be taken in order to prevent damage; (iii) the creation of a defective-products database; and (iv) the enforcement of sanctions and control measures.
Please note that the Decree enters into force on 27 October 2016, six months after its issuance.
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LATIN AMERICA | Intellectual Property | USTR Special 301 Report: several countries in the region included due to lack of adequate IP rights protection
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The United States Trade Representative (USTR) Office recently published its 2016 Special 301 Report discussing the adequate and effective protection of Intellectual Property rights worldwide.
The Report considers that 14 countries in the region do not provide sufficient protection to IP Rights. In particular, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela are included in the Priority Watch List due to deficiencies in anti-counterfeiting as well as patent and trademark protection. Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru remain on the Watch List.
The detailed report could be viewed here.
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COLOMBIA | Intellectual Property | The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce modifies fees and form of delivery of public information own of their functions
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The SIC (IP Office) issued Regulation N° 20345 (2016) which defines a new regulation and fee schedule applicable to certifications, records requests and access to public information from their records.
The new regulation provides better access to SIC information, allowing the use of digital media at reasonable fees.
