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FTAA.ngip/inf/16
August 12, 2003

Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat

FTAA – NEGOTIATING GROUP ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

URUGUAY

REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES  


Introduction

With the advent of the 21st century, Uruguay and other countries of the region are challenged with modernizing their productive structures within a context of greater social equity and a globalized world. 
  1. Project Title

    Strengthening of the Industrial Property System to accommodate technological innovation and competitiveness.

  2. Background

    The challenge facing Uruguay is to attain greater participation in the regional and international economy, within a dynamic and evolving context. Technological innovation and competitiveness have been identified as strategic objectives to achieve this goal.
    In view of the growth in world trade and the technological revolution, industrial property-intensive enterprises need to make constant changes to their productive and trade strategies for their own benefit and at the lowest possible cost. This shows that industrial property has become a very important asset.
    The Government of Uruguay recognizes industrial property’s growing importance in international relations and the need for effective management at the service of business and research sectors. For this reason, the Uruguayan government has promoted links between the productive sectors and greater interaction between the public and private sectors so as to further the integration of technological progress and innovation within enterprises as a strategic variable and source of income, while also developing business practices to ensure global competitiveness.


  3. Rationale

    Statistics show the increased number of filings of applications for industrial property rights which the Office is unable to process due to a shortage in staff. Although the problem has been resolved partially through automated operations, the funds available are insufficient to maintain an adequate infrastructure.
    Training continues to be a priority, not only to educate staff directly involved in the operations but also other system users requiring training: entrepreneurs, universities, customs officials and judges, among others.
    SMEs are lacking in information on the selection, purchase and adaptation of foreign technology, and they are inexperienced in development of new technologies and with industrial property to protect their own innovations because they do not receive the support needed to undertake technological innovation tasks.
    The technological information dissemination service provided for in patent documents is insufficient due to its irregularity and the unreliability of its databases, lack of organized collections of patent documents and of trained customer service personnel, etc. There is also a need for them to be incorporated into national and regional information networks to allow for the exchange of technological information.

     
  4. Objectives of the project:

    1. General: Create the conditions for the country’s participation in the region and in the global economy, thereby fostering innovation and competitiveness through intensive mobilization and utilization of industrial property.
       
    2. Specific
         
      1. Contribute to building up the managerial structure in charge of industrial property.
      2. Foster the use of industrial property with a view to SME’s formulation of technological marketing and technological innovation-oriented strategies.
      3. Stimulate the use of information on industrial property among current and future users, especially as regards the technological information in patent documents.
      4. Enhance and increase the use of technological information services so as to ensure maximum, timely, and effective usage by intermediate and end users now and in the future.
      5. Promote greater awareness of benefits derived from the use of industrial property with a view to establishing a culture based on industrial property.
      6. Set up national and regional industrial property and technological information networks.

     
  5. Inputs1 : resources required for the project

    1. Expert training and advisory missions
    2. Funds for training courses
    3. Funds for equipment purchase
    4. Funds for the preparation of publications on diskette and paper.
    5. Funds for publicity
    6. Funds for services management and maintenance
       
  6. Anticipated Results

    The project will have the following results:
     
    1. Trained staff responsible for industrial property operations (see beneficiaries).
    2. Trained current and future users of the system (see beneficiaries)
    3. Information and advisory services for current and future users (creation and set up).
    4. Enhanced infrastructure (hardware and software)
    5. Collection of industrial property documents on diskette with standard format.
    6. Material for dissemination
    7. Integration into national and regional integration networks.

    The technical capacity of the project’s beneficiaries in the relevant industrial property sectors will be increased. The beneficiaries include:
     
    1. Managers and staff of government offices in charge of industrial property, promotion, dissemination, and technological information.
    2. Entrepreneurs, especially SMEs.
    3. Officials and members of chambers of commerce and industry and professional associations.
    4. Academia, research institutes and individual inventors.
    5. Customs officials and judges
    6. Others identified during execution of the project.
       
  7. Other relevant information
Note: In the event that two or more project profiles are proposed, please present in order of priority.

1 If information is available.
 
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