World Intellectual Property Review e-Digest 2012

ECUADOR

ALCOHOL WARS IN ECUADOR

Rodrigo Bermeo-Andrade and Rodrigo Bermeo Rosales Bermeo & Bermeo

2011 was marked by many legal changes affecting international investors in Ecuador. The most important are the new Competition (Antitrust) Law, and the new tax regulations, which increase international money transfer taxes. In relation to case law, the authors have been active in representing parties whose cases constitute new developments in intellectual property (IP) precedents applicable in the country.

Trademark protection

Polish company Polmos Siedlce, producer of Chopin vodka, protected internationally by trademarks Chopin and Chopin + Design, applied for registration of its marks in Ecuador.

During examination, the trademarks director rejected the registration for both marks in August 2009, citing article 136(e) of the Andean Decision which bars from registration trademarks that: “consist of a sign that is capable of affecting the identity or prestige of (...) persons other than the applicant (...), particularly in regard to a given name, family name, signature, title, nickname, pseudonym, image, portrait, or caricature, where no consent has been obtained from that person or, if deceased, the declared heirs of that person”.

The director of trademarks concluded that it is necessary to file a letter of consent from Frédéric Chopin’s heirs, as not doing so would affect the identity and prestige of “one of the most important composers and pianists of history”.

Polmos Siedlce appealed to the IP Committee. Bermeo & Bermeo represented Polmos Siedlce and stated, among other arguments, that if the law is carefully read, only marks that affect the identity or prestige of a living person are barred from registration, that Chopin died more than 160 years ago and there are no heirs. Furthermore, it was argued that Chopin has registrations all over the world, even in Poland where Chopin was born and where his identity and prestige should be most protected. At the national level, we argued that there are more than 120 registrations of marks containing names of famous persons, and that not even the names of local personalities and heroes such as Bolivar or Sucre were rejected for registration, because the correct standards were applied. The trademarks director had repeatedly considered that the identities of these personalities were not affected.

The committee accepted the appeal and granted registration to both trademarks, Chopin and Chopin + Design, which separately comprise the name and likeness of Frédéric Chopin. The committee stated that regardless of the bar against registration in the above-mentioned article, the trademark is both capable of being distinctive for the goods it intends to protect, and not within any bar of registration, because it

112 World Intellectual Property Review e-Digest 2012 www.worldipreview.com

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