Within the framwework of the Patent Flexibilities project, a workshop was held on 6 December 2018. It brought together the Advisory Committee and experts from the eight Latin American countries on which the study focuses, namely Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

During the event, the first research project of the Initiative was presented. The project focuses on a comparative study of the patent laws of eight countries selected for their economic relevance and distinctiveness in the field of patent law. On the basis of a questionnaire that was provided to the experts before the workshop, national provisions on third-party entitlements to use patented subject-matter without the permission of the right holder, as well as other limitations to the exclusive rights conferred by a patent, were discussed. At the workshop it was also decided to extend the comparative study to patentability and patent eligibility matters.