Catalysing innovation and creativity in Latin America’s creative industries from Uruguay
Montevideo was at the heart of advancing the intersection of creative industries and intellectual property rights (IPR) at the beginning of April through a series of events organised by AL-INVEST Verde IPR. The mosaic of events, designed for a broad spectrum of professionals from the MERCOSUR countries and Chile, explored the future of creativity through the prism of innovation and legality.
Following the event series, AL-INVEST Verde IPR explored practical strategies for addressing the impact of emerging technologies on the creative industries, examining the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property rights and analysing the important role of judges in safeguarding these rights. With a focus on fostering innovation, creativity and collaboration, these events underscore AL-INVEST Verde IPR’s commitment to shaping the future of the creative industries in the MERCOSUR countries and Chile in a protected manner.
Forum on digital innovation and intellectual property rights
The forum was organised on 8 April in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay (MIEM) through the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI), and the Agency for Electronic Government and the Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC) of the Presidency. Other collaborators were the Department of Creative Industries (Dicrea) and the Copyright Council of the Uruguayan Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), the Uruguayan Film and Audiovisual Agency (ACAU), and the General Association of Authors of Uruguay (AGADU).
The forum focused on three aspects:
- identifying practical strategies to address the impact of content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT and OpenAI’s DALL-E 2, on the resilience and adaptability of the creative sectors in the MERCOSUR countries and Chile;
- capitalising on the opportunities presented by these technologies to enhance creativity, growth and innovation and protect the rights of creators in the digital era through knowledge sharing between Latin America and the EU;
- highlighting the urgent need for strong legal frameworks to protect the creative assets threatened by growing online infringement.
The hybrid event brought together hundreds of renowned professionals from Latin America and the EU, including representatives from various sectors of the orange economy: universities, specialised judges and other IP experts, as well as innovation and IT specialists. The forum also aimed to attract creators from all sectors of the creative industries – music, film, publishing and video games – as well as policymakers, legislators, judges and legal professionals in charge of drafting IP legislation.
Seminar for judges on IP and the creative industries in the digital age
The day after the forum, on 9 April, a seminar for judges and magistrates on IP and the creative industries in the digital era was organised in collaboration with the DNPI, with the aim of facilitating dialogue between legal experts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and the EU. With a special focus on recent cases and emerging challenges in the digital era, the seminar sought to equip judges and magistrates with the necessary tools to address the complexities of intellectual property protection through the exchange of best practices.
Through structured modules, the seminar aimed to harmonise the resolution of intellectual property cases and promote collaboration between judicial authorities to improve the effectiveness of legal mechanisms in the fight against trade mark infringement.
Finally, on 10 April, the judges held an intensive working group meeting during which they discussed relevant cases to add to a compendium of jurisprudence that is being developed within the framework of the AL-INVEST Verde IPR Judges Network. Last March 20, AL-INVEST Verde IPR also organized an international webinar addressing the role of women in the creative industries in relation to intellectual property rights.