Competing with multinationals under DR-CAFTA requires companies to comply with all the necessary processes to protect their brands, processes and products.
The arrival of multinational companies in Central America competing in legal equality with local or regional firms as a result of DR-CAFTA, highlights gaps in legal implementation and best practices for business on issues such as the protection of trademarks and intellectual property.
Increased prices are predicted along with less variety in drugs and agrochemicals because of the progressive protection of patent rights.
Román Macaya, director of the National Chamber of Generic Producers (Canaproge) explained that at the end of this decade the market will feel an impact on the protection of branded drugs and agrochemicals. The changes will occur due to the agreed extension of rights in the FTA between the U.S., Central America and the Dominican Republic.
It takes from six months to a year to complete the process for registering a patent for a brand with the Guatemalan Intellectual Property Registry.
Various sectors in Guatemala agree with the estimate. "Although there is a commitment to the free trade agreement between Central America and United States (CAFTA), which entered into force in 2006, Guatemala has not signed", reported Prensalibre.com.gt.
The Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies and the American Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce have requested that the bill be vetoed by President Chinchilla.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com echoes the troubles caused by the adoption of the law which "allows without sanction copying of music CDs and movies or counterfeit software", in the national and creative sectors, and in the union that groups together American companies in the country.
The Legislative is moving forward a bill that will decriminalize the business of photocopying of books, on the basis of academic needs.
The aim of the "Law to protect the right to education against the excesses of intellectual property law" is to prevent owners of photocopying businesses from being affected by the secondary legislation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States on intellectual property protection.
The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica passed modifications to intellectual property laws.
Specifically, they modified article 2 of the Intellectual Property Law, and article 8 of the Intellectual Property Observance Law.
This concludes the implementation agenda of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Central America.
Nacion.com reported that “these modifications increase fines for intellectual property violations and clarifies concepts related to phonograms and interpretation of musical works”.
In Compliance with the FTA, the Government sent Congress draft legislation that criminalizes the infringement of intellectual property rights.
As part of the framework Agenda for the Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, Central America and Dominican Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) has sent a reform to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights to Congress for debate.