The second annual conference of the Initiative took place from 3 to 5 April 2019, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Organized by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in collaboration with the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), the conference was attended by 45 Latin American intellectual property and competition law experts, including academics, lawyers and representatives of international and regional organizations, public authorities and the private sector.

The conference focused on the Initiative’s four research projects, as defined in Santiago de Chile: Patent Flexibilities, Collective Distinctive Signs, Technology Transfer and Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights. Based on their field of expertise, the participants were divided into small working groups related to each of the projects.

The research projects on Collective Distinctive Signs, Technology Transfer and Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights were at an initial stage. After introductory keynote speeches on each topic in order to highlight the regional and socioeconomic context to be considered by the experts, the working groups sought to define the scope of the respective research projects. The discussions in the working groups paved the way for the adoption of an initial research step similar to that taken in the project on Patent Flexibilities, namely the elaboration of questionnaires to be answered by experts of selected countries for the purpose of comparative studies. These comparative studies may be the starting point for future projects aiming at the promotion of balanced and sustainable IP policies and at an appropriate and fruitful cooperation between Latin American countries at the regional level.

In contrast, the research project on Patent Flexibilities was at a more advanced stage, since it was the first to be initiated. Its working group mainly addressed the progress that had been made by the national reporters and the difficultiues they had encountered in answering the questionnaires. The participants also discussed some aspects related to the publication of this study.

In addition, the conference in Cartagena marked the introduction of the new members of the Observatory. Some alternatives for funding the Initiative in the medium and long term were also addressed in plenary in the final part of the conference.

Participants:

• Ana María Pacón (Peru) - Consultant, Pacon & Schiantarelli
• Andrea Barrios (Uruguay) - Professor, University of the Republic of Uruguay
• Beatriz Bugallo Montaño (Uruguay) - Professor, University of the Republic of Uruguay
• Belkys Martínez Pacheco (Colombia) - Professor, Universidade Libre de Colombia
• Carlos Correa (Argentina) - Professor, University of Buenos Aires; Executive Director of South Centre
• Carol A. O'Donnell (Argentina) - Senior Expert Associate, Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal
• Clemente Forero Pineda (Colombia) - Professor, Universidad de los Andes
• Esperanza Rodríguez (Mexico) - Lawyer, De la Torre, Rodríguez & Salazar
• Francisco Astudillo (Venezuela) - Professor, Central University of Venezuela
• Francisco Beneke (Germany) - Junior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Gonzalo Nazar (Argentina) - Member of the Observatory, Smart IP for Latin America
• Guillermo Cabanellas (Argentina) - Lawyer, DLA Piper
• Guillermo Vidaurreta (Argentina) - Professor, University of Buenos Aires
• Ignacio de León (Venezuela) - Lead Innovation Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• Jean-Louis Le Guerroué (Brazil) - Professor, Universidade de Brasília
• Jorge Cabrera Medaglia (Costa Rica) - Professor, University of Costa Rica
• José Luis Londoño (Colombia) - Chief Representative Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, International Trademarks Association (INTA)
• José Manuel Magaña Rufino (Mexico) - Professor, Universidad Panamericana
• Juan Correa (Argentina) - Observatory, Smart IP for Latin America
• Juan Francisco Ortega Díaz (Colombia) - Professor, University of the Andes
• Juliana Krueger (Brazil) - Professor, Faculty of Law Universidade do São Paulo
• Luis Alonso Garcia (Peru) - Lawyer, Baker McKenzie
• Manuel Guerrero Gaitán (Colombia) - Professor, Externado University of Colombia
• Marcelo Di Pietro Peralta (Argentina) - Director, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Marcos Wachowicz (Brazil) - Professor, Universidade Federal do Paraná - GEDAI (Curitiba)
• Mariano Genovesi (Argentina) - General Secretary, University of Buenos Aires
• Marli Elizabeth Ritter dos Santos (Brazil) - Director, Office of Technology Transfer PUC/RS
• Marta Gimenez (Brazil) - Professor, University of Sao Paulo
• Martin Moscoso (Peru) - Independent Consultant
• Matthias Lamping (Germany) - Senior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Nelson Campos (Chile) - Intellectual Property Consultant
• Oliver Schmid (Switzerland) - Doctoral Student, University of Zurich
• Pedro Henrique D. Batista (Germany) - Junior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Rafael Fariñas (Venezuela) - Director for Latin America, International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC)
• Rafael Mafra (Brazil) - Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e Abastecimento
• Reto Hilty (Germany) - Director, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Roxana Blasetti (Argentina) - Member of the Observatory, Smart IP for Latin America
• Santiago Roca (Peru) - Professor, Universidad ESAN
• Santiago Schuster (Chile) - Professor, University of Chile
• Sebastián Herreros (Chile) - Economic Affairs Officer, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Silvia Salazar (Costa Rica) - Professor, University of Costa Rica
• Suelen Carls (Germany) - Senior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Valentina Delich (Argentina) - Professor, FLACSO Argentina
• Victor Drummond (Brazil) - Director General, Interartis