On the eve of the entry into force of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC), the governments of Mexico and the United States have protected themselves against the theft of intellectual property and smuggling carried out by third countries, through a bilateral agreement they signed to increase investments and stimulate innovation, the purpose of which is to make North America the most competitive region on the planet.
In the framework of the signing of the memorandum of understanding of collaboration between the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, warned that “We can no longer allow intellectual property theft and smuggling. All of this discourages future innovation.”, which is why he asked Mexico to make long-term commitments. “Now global supply chains are being reorganized to reflect new trade patterns, so this is the perfect time for Mexico to demonstrate in a very public and very formal way its long-term commitment to protecting intellectual property rights. This is a topic of great concern in many places around the world where large technology companies are based.”, he referred.
As part of the implementation of the USMCA, the agencies responsible for registration and patents in Mexico and the US have committed to avoiding duplications and speeding up the procedures carried out by entrepreneurs when registering their invention or trademark. For example, Mexico will no longer review patents that have already been reviewed in the US, and vice versa.
"The USMCA will promote the protection of intellectual property assets and provide the freedom to produce or license their products and processes with partners in both the United States and Mexico."Ross noted.
Heading the event in Mexico, Graciela Márquez, Secretary of Economy, announced that Mexico will align itself with international standards in terms of intellectual property, so that in the next session a law on the matter will be approved that will protect and generate legal certainty for innovations.
"Mexico is preparing to take on these challenges. Proof of this is the initiative for the new Industrial Property Law presented by Senator Ernesto Pérez Astorga last December, which will be discussed and approved at the start of the new legislative term."He said.
The Minister of Economy mentioned that the continuous development of new technology and innovative products has created a challenge for the institutions in charge of protecting inventions, since advances in areas such as biotechnology, digital transformation and artificial intelligence have generated a type of companies that are intensive in intellectual property.This form of intellectual property cooperation, envisioned in the USMCA, will benefit innovators in the United States and Mexico, helping us make North America the most competitive economic zone."said the US ambassador to Mexico, Christopher Landau.
The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, Jorge Luis Torres, said that 2,000 officials have been trained in 70% of customs offices.
Trump signs T-MEC laws today
Wilbur Ross reported that today Donald Trump will sign the USMCA laws at the White House, and together with the memorandum on intellectual property, it will become part of the commercial and growth history of Mexico and the US. It should be remembered that the Canadian government began the process of ratification of the new North American trade pact on Monday, and urged opposition legislators to formally approve the agreement as quickly as possible.
Source: The Economist
#Release | The governments of Mexico and the United States of America sign a historic agreement on #patents ?? https://t.co/XTiJt0aOFN#IndustrialProperty#innovation #diversification pic.twitter.com/c1XInJuaAx
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