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The IPR Center Report
Partners in Action
IPR Workshop Leads to Seizure
Stretched along the Pacific coast
of South America, Chile boasts
one of the most liberal economies
in the world, with more than 50
free trade agreements (FTAs)and
two free trade zones.Trade between
the U.S. and Chile has increased 200
percent since the implementation of
the FTA in 2004. These factors also
make Chile an attractive target for
marketing and distributing counterfeit
and pirated goods.With this in
mind, the U.S. Embassy in Santiago
and the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) organized a seminar
from March 30–April 3, 2009
to strengthen Chile’s intellectual
property rights (IPR) enforcement.
More than 200 representatives from Chile’s Investigative Police (PDI), uniformed police (Carabineros), public prosecutor’s office (Ministerio Publico) and customs service (Servicio de Aduanas) attended the seminar, which was held in Iquique and Valparaiso. Experts from the USPTO and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) discussed topics ranging from effective customs controls to the influence of organized crime in IPR violations. Representatives from the private sector, including Apple, Timberland and Mattel, presented examples of counterfeit goods and explained how to identify fake products.
U.S. Ambassador Paul Simons delivered a speech promoting U.S.-Chilean cooperation on IPR. “Just as our countries enjoy the benefits of trade, we must share the responsibility of protecting our consumers and businesses. In a world where products are designed, manufactured, assembled, and distributed across continents, we can only achieve success by working together,” Ambassador Simons said. Chile’s National Prosecutor, Sabas Chahuan, also highlighted the importance of combating IPR violations.
The event complemented a similar training that took place in 2008 for Chilean judges. This year’s seminar showcased the inter-agency approach implemented by the U.S. to confront IPR crimes. Representatives from the Department of State, DHS, USPTO and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all participated in the event, which produced immediate results.Within three weeks of the seminar, Apple reported that Chilean authorities had seized more than 2,000 counterfeit Apple products.
