Subject: [IP tango] Chile: he is coming, he is coming! -- President Obama's visit. El blog http://groups.google.com/group/ip-tango?hl=en-GB. comenta los dichos de Javier Irarrázaval sobre Propiedad Intelectual.
The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio approaches today President Barack Obama’s visit to Chile (in a month time). It refers to the tight agenda and two of the main topics that are to be discussed, namely energy and intellectual property.
Javier Irarrázaval, the Chamber of Commerce Chilean-American (Amcham) president , believes that president Obama's visit will be a very good opportunity to strengthen the strategic alliance that Chile and the U.S. began in 2008 on energy.
"The United States has positioned itself as a leader. It takes the lead as a supplier, developer and patent holder in virtually all technologies" he says.
Continuing he states that Amcham has concerns in the scenario faced by Chile. "If we want to grow and generate business we need energy at competitive costs". Mr Irarrázaval, who is in favour of sustainable sources, emphasizes the need to be realistic.
The second point to be raised in this visit will be the protection of intellectual property. In 2010, Chile ranked for the fourth time on the ‘Priority Watch List’, which groups countries that lack intellectual property protection. Mr Irarrázaval asserts that they “do not want to continue on the Watch List”. He appears to be astonished to the fact that in Chile there is not the necessary protection to safeguard industrial property, because according to him (and I guess every reader on this blog), this fact undermines entrepreneurship and innovation.