Peru protects Pisco AO in e-commerce platforms

By Espinosa Bellido Abogados

In 2020 Peru’s National Institute of the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property Protection (Indecopi) removed a total of 265 publications in Mercado Libre, most of which infringed the appellation of origin Pisco. The control and supervision operations were carried out along with Mercado Libre, one of the most important e-commerce companies in Latin America, as part of an inter-institutional cooperation agreement signed by both parties.

The AO Pisco recognizes grape brandy made from selected grapes, a Peruvian national drink with notorious prestigious in worldwide markets. The publications improperly promoted the commercialization of the AO without the needed authorization, confusing Mercado Libre’s costumers.

Besides the Pisco related publications, in 2020 Indecopi also removed other 152 publications regarding electrical products, face masks and toys for trademark infringement. The products also supposed a health risk for consumers, especially children, as they did not have the needed sanitary authorizations for commercialization.

Due to the successful results, the president of the Board of Directors of Indecopi, Hania Pérez de Cuéllar, and the attorney of Mercado Libre Perú, Jaime Andrés Ramírez Castro, signed on February 10, 2021, an addendum to extend the cooperation agreement for a further twelve months.