358. We wish to thank the co-sponsors for their draft and Japan for presenting the document we are discussing. We also appreciate the valuable information shared yesterday that reflects the various initiatives that are being taken at different levels to strengthen cooperation between IP offices. We agree on the importance of and need to strengthen ties between offices in order to promote certainty and predictability, as well as foster creation and innovation, which will have a positive impact on the promotion of trade and investment.
359. For our National Institute for the Defence of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI), other IP offices are strategic allies for strengthening the IP ecosystem at all levels, including through the transfer of knowledge, technical skills and capacities, and direct support for specific projects. There are three categories of cooperation in which INDECOPI participates:
First, those aimed at enhancing information exchange, for example, our Office's participation in the European Union Intellectual Property Office's (EUIPO) DesignView or the European Patent Office's Latipat search engines. We also wish to highlight, as the EU delegate mentioned yesterday, cooperation with EUIPO to ensure the integration of data on national trademarks into the online information and classification systems developed by EUIPO known as "TMview" and "TMclass".
A second category is cooperation to enhance the skills of examiners of patents and industrial designs through workshops, seminars, webinars and internships organized by various offices with whom we have agreements, such as internships with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM).
The third category of cooperation is aimed at improving the quality of the service provided, for example, mechanisms to accelerate the examination of patent applications concluded with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office, the Pacific Alliance countries and PROSUR members, as well as countries and member offices of the PPH Global Agreement. Another case is implementation of computer systems, where we wish to highlight the support of EUIPO, which granted INDECOPI the source code for the non-commercial use of "Cesto", a tool used by trademark examiners.
360. At the regional level, cooperation is maintained among the IP offices of the countries that make up the Andean Community (CAN). For example, just days ago, we launched the Andean Opposition Protocol, which seeks to provide faster processing of trademark applications. We also maintain cooperation among IP offices belonging to the Ibero-American Programme on Industrial Property and Development Promotion (IBEPI) and APEC. Benefits include skills development of our examiners, improved management, examination and processing of applications, enhanced implementation of public policies and adoption of strategies linked to different aspects of IP.
361. Lastly, we wish to highlight the significant impact of cooperation on specific projects that focus on areas such as MSMEs, digitalization, and implementation and use of IT tools for the purpose of simplifying access and expediting procedures for users.
