World Intellectual Property Day in Honduras

By Bufete Mejía & Asociados

World Intellectual Property Day is a yearly celebration of intellectual property role in stimulating innovation and creativity. In Honduras, Bufete Mejía & Asociados works daily towards promoting IP among inventors, researchers, students, businessmen, companies and startups through its Mejia Initiative for Intellectual Property (MI-IP3).

This year, the MI-IP3 celebrated the World IP Day organizing a forum with the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Cortes (CCIC). The focus of the forum was on conflict resolution on intellectual property, with several experts discussing cases and cost-efficient alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation, arbitration, expedited arbitration and expert determination to enable private parties to settle their disputes.

Héctor Fernández, Head of the Litigation Department of Bufete Mejía & Asociados, presented examples of cases in the field of intellectual property litigation which could have been resolved more effectively using alternative means of dispute resolution.

Mary Fernández, founding partner of Dominican legal firm Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez, presented her experience on the use of alternative methods of conflict resolution in conflicts derived from intellectual property. Fernández spoke about the range of conflicts that can be resolved through conciliation and arbitration, with the aim of persuading assistants about the effectiveness of these alternative methods.

Honduran lawyer José Oswaldo Figueroa talked about contracts in intellectual property, covering a wide scope of topics that included an analysis of the current situation of IP throughout the country. Figueroa stated that, according to international rankings, Honduras is far ahead in innovation compared to developed countries, as many people don’t even register their inventions. “The most common problem with inventors and businesses is that they create a product or service but they don’t register the trademark, therefore a competitor enters the market copying their name.”

The forum was hosted by Blanca Mejía, Vice President of the Mejía Initiative for Intellectual Property, and Louis Maljik, Director of the CCIC.