• Summer Course SPTO-UIMP 2015
• Positions in the SPTO for patent examiners and lawyers
• The SPTO and Technologies to Mitigate Climate Change
• The European Patent Office re-uses the work done by SPTO examiners
• New SPTO photo gallery

Summer Course SPTO-UIMP 2015

The month of July has seen the seminar entitled ‘Counterfeiting: Crimes against Industrial Property’ held in Santander by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) and the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP). Those present analysed the problem of counterfeiting for Industrial Property dealing, among other subjects, with the risks of buying counterfeit products, consumers’ attitudes to such products and actions taken in Spain in this field.

Broad representation of the parties involved
The debate was led by several speakers representing the different sectors involved: those affected (through business associations such as ANDEMA, INTA and STANPA), those in charge of creating greater awareness about the negative effects (SPTO, OHIM, EPO and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce) and those responsible for defending Industrial Property rights (police forces).

The first session was opened by the Director General of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, followed by the President of the European Patent Office (EPO) and the President of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM). They stressed the contribution that Industrial Property makes to employment and economic activity, and the methods used to promote and support it through the EU Observatory. The second session described the work being done by the SPTO in the field of counterfeiting, and the third focused on the role of the Spanish police forces in the fight against it. During the last session, representatives of the Spanish National Association for the Defence of Trademarks (ANDEMA) and of the Spanish National Association for Perfumery and Cosmetics (STANPA) described the risks of consuming counterfeit products and their approach to this matter. These talks were followed by a panel discussion open to participation by all those present.

Talks were then given by the Director of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce who spoke about defending authenticity and, finally, the meeting was closed by the Director General of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.