VENEZUELA


11. Latin America is a region, but it is also part of a huge continent that is made up of 22 South American countries, six Central American countries and a large number of Caribbean islands, all with individual IP laws. In some Caribbean cases, national regulations remit to the IP laws of European countries, such as the UK, The Netherlands and France. Local advice from specialised law firms, country by country, is essential.


12. When dealing with patents, especially those that cover pharmaceuticals, some authorities look at them with reluctance due to populist policies and, as a result, patent applications, without being denied since they are specifically permitted by law, are simply held in abeyance. However, it should be taken into account that, traditionally, Latin American governments have fluctuated politically, from the extreme left to the extreme right. Therefore, it is difficult to predict how they will react to patenting in the future. The existence of an application or a granted patent may be of little de facto value in some jurisdictions, but shifts in policies can always be expected. When faced with an infringement in a jurisdiction that is unsupportive towards IP, a cease and desist letter can have the desired effect. Counsel advice in each particular case is strongly recommended before making a decision.


13. IP systems are generally slow. This is sometimes due to transitory reasons and sometimes to more permanent reasons, such as structural instabilities at local trademark and patent offices. A two- to three-year wait for a trademark certificate is not unusual. Eventually, this generates impatience in applicants that are not accustomed to such delays, and it can tempt unscrupulous agents to offer services that, they say, can speed up painfully slow processes. Prudence indicates that these services are not always legitimate and that unexpected and unnecessary risks can be incurred.


www.worldipreview.com World Intellectual Property Review e-Digest 2012 265


THE GOLDEN RULE IS THIS: DO NOT ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH PROSPECTIVE PARTNERS WITHOUT YOUR IP RIGHTS BEING REGISTERED.


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