The International Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), together with the Paraguayan Association of Intellectual Property Agents (APAPI), and the Paraguayan Group of the Interamerican Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), held an international conference on “Country Brand”, which took place on Friday, April 26, in the auditorium of the Paraguayan American Chamber of Commerce (PAMCHAM), with the participation of approximately 50 people.

The opening of the event was in charge of Victor Abente (president of APAPI) and Jorge Chávarro (vice president of ASIPI).

The conference was first attended by Ana Chuang, National Director of the Investment and Exports Network of Paraguay (REDIEX), under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) of Paraguay. It referred to the importance of having a national policy of promoting the country brand for the development and enhancement of Paraguay abroad, as well as details of the recent contest carried out by the institution under its responsibility that culminated with a recent selection of the new image of the country brand for Paraguay by a jury, and the explanation of the concept behind the new country brand.

Next, Berta Dávalos Julian, Director of Industrial Property of DINAPI, referred to Regulatory Decree No. 8,819, dated April 23, 2018, which approved the logo and image of the Paraguay Country Brand. Regarding the legal protection of the country brand itself, she stated that in Paraguay there is no special protection for the country brand, and must be registered as any other brand in any of the 45 classes.

Lastly, Juli Gutierrez of ASIPI, referred to the protection and international framework of the brand or country sign, addressingthe cases of brand protection or country sign in the different countries of the region, concluding with the proposals of protection of the country sign that It was presented to WIPO by Peru, a project in which ASIPI has been actively working.