A cooperation between WIPO and the Spanish IP Office (OEPM) with the support of the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID)
The 6th Regional Course for Training of Trainers has wrapped up, and the impact is already rippling across the continent. Participants from 17 Latin American countries successfully completed this Course, which has been running regularly since 2016 with an ambitious purpose: to create a substantial mass of drafting experts in Latin America who can guide others in acquiring the skills needed to draft patents of quality.
The Course was delivered in two parts: a 5-day intensive workshop in Montevideo, Uruguay followed by 2 months of practical work guided by experienced mentors. And it counted with the valuable contributions from: Alexander Agudelo, Director of Innovation, Patents and Designs, Wolf Méndez Abogados, Colombia; Olga Moreno, Director Patent Department, Jarry IP, Chile; and Pablo Paz, Patent Consultant, Argentina.
Participants also received support from María José de Concepción, Director Patents Department, OEPM, Spain; Leopoldo Belda Soriano, Head Patents in Mechanical and Construction Area, OEPM, Spain; and Marta Díaz Pozo, Legal Officer, IP for Innovators Department, WIPO, Switzerland.
What did participants tell about the Course?
“I acquired new tools and strategies to apply in my day-to-day work, both when conducting substantive examinations and when providing guidance and support to inventors who require it when drafting their application.” María Victoria Lo Giocco (Argentina)
“As a take away, very good connections with WIPO to join the MoU in terms of training on the subject matter of the course, possible collaboration with participating universities and with patent offices such as those of Colombia and Uruguay. In particular, I am very interested in training, at the highest level, in patent drafting. Form a seedbed of young people to be trained on the subject.” Oralia Suárez (Panama)
“The interest [in the activity] is fundamentally for the continuous improvement of our work, both at a personal level and at the level of the DNPI. It was a very productive exchange of views and opinions.” Lucía González (Uruguay)
What is next? Participants in WIPO regional courses are very welcome to apply to the International Patent Drafting Training Program to further hone the already acquired skills. This 8-month Program runs annually in English and will soon be available in Spanish.
Interested in knowing more? Please contact us.