Empowering Creative Industries in MERCOSUR: EUIPO-UFRJ Webinars on Copyright and Design Protection
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in the framework of the EU-funded project AL-INVEST Verde IPR, in collaboration with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and its Inovateca as well as Brazil’s National Institute for Industrial Property (INPI) carried out two expert-led webinars in June and July aimed at boosting intellectual property (IP) knowledge and strategic use in the creative industries.
The online events targeted students, designers, creators, creative economy entrepreneurs and researchers from Brazil, and were designed to support regional efforts to strengthen the protection and economic valorisation of creative works through copyright and design rights.
Webinar of 26 June – “Creativity and Copyright in the Digital Age”
This session offered valuable insights into current copyright practices and challenges in the digital era, with contributions from experts from both Europe and Brazil. The program featured three thematic panels exploring: the impact of new technologies on authorship and the protection of creative works; copyright considerations in fashion, jewelry, and printing; and the protection of visual creations in the gaming industry. Through in-depth discussions and practical examples, the webinar highlighted how copyright can support innovation and safeguard creative content across diverse digital platforms.
Webinar of 3 July – “Protection of Industrial Designs in the Digital Age”
Focusing on the pivotal role of design in the creative economy, this webinar explored the evolving landscape of industrial design protection in the context of the digital economy, with a particular focus on the EU and Brazil. Expert speakers from the EUIPO and INPI Brazil covered the value of industrial designs in the creative economy, examining their core concepts and the benefits of protection systems in both regions. Experts also addressed the intellectual property challenges and opportunities presented by 3D printing technologies. The session concluded with real-world case studies from the academic environment, showcasing practical applications and strategies for design protection.
These sessions build on the EUIPO’s ongoing cooperation with MERCOSUR countries to strengthen IP capacity-building in innovation-driven sectors, while reinforcing interregional cooperation and improving IP governance across Latin America. By promoting knowledge exchange on copyright and design, the EUIPO continues to support innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth in the creative industries of Latin-America.
The EUIPO is the host of pan-European copyright databases and portals. These include the Agorateka portal, which helps to identify legal content online, as well as the Orphan works database and the Out-of-commerce works portal, which provide single online point to discover books, photos, films and much more from the cultural heritage institutions. Additionally, the EUIPO is building a new “home” for copyright in the EU with the launch of the Copyright Knowledge Centre later this year that will consolidate ongoing EUIPO Observatory initiatives on piracy, education, and awareness, while gradually developing new actions.