Seminar for judges and magistrates on intellectual property and creative industries in the digital age

The Seminar is organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay through the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI).

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the protection of intellectual property rights presents important challenges worldwide. This seminar aims to facilitate dialogue between judges and magistrates from Mercosur countries, Chile and the European Union, recognising the need for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

The seminar has multifaceted objectives. It aims to exchange best practices among legal experts to harmonise IP adjudication in all regions and to improve collaboration between judicial authorities to effectively combat trademark infringements.

The structured modules will cover various topics, such as intellectual property in the digital age, challenges related to NFTs, the Metaverse and artificial intelligence, and the evolving role of judges in the protection of intellectual property rights.

Other discussions will address dispute settlement, the assessment of infringements and the impact of international treaties on national legislation. Case law analyses from the international/EU and Mercosur perspectives will provide valuable insights into recent case law.

Through dialogue, exchange of experiences and case studies, the seminar aims to equip judges and magistrates with the necessary tools to address the complexities of intellectual property in the digital age, strengthen legal frameworks and foster innovation and creativity.

Following the seminar, a working group session on 10 April, organised within the AL-INVEST Verde IPR judges' network, will compile a compendium of IP jurisprudence from Mercosur countries and Chile to advance legal harmonisation and jurisprudential development.