USPTO and Cuba IP office take part in historic meeting

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has taken part in a historic meeting with the Cuban Industrial Property Office (OCPI).

The meeting, which took place last week during the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) general assemblies in Switzerland, allowed the two offices to exchange perspectives on how their systems can be strengthened for the 21st century.

It was a historic “office-to-office” meeting, according to a blog by Russ Slifer, deputy under secretary of commerce for IP and deputy director of the USPTO, who took part.

“President Obama’s historic announcement, just two years ago, paved a new course of history for a more open US-Cuba relationship,” said Slifer.

He explained that this presents a dynamic opportunity for the USPTO “to support and facilitate trade and investment” between the US and Cuba.

Slifer explained: “That’s why under leadership of President Obama and [Commerce] Secretary [Penny] Pritzker, we are working to create a framework for strong intellectual property rights that will anchor investment, and fuel research and development in both countries.”

Over the past few months, the USPTO has begun to engage with its Cuban counterparts to develop a long-term strategy to protect IP.

In September, the USPTO participated in a regional WIPO seminar in Havana on the Patent Cooperation Treaty in order to “explore ways in which we are currently enabling country-to-country filings”.

Slifer also travelled to Havana to meet Cuban officials, including those at OCPI, to “discuss the USPTO’s mission and to reaffirm our interest in possible future collaboration on IP matters”.

In May this year, USPTO staff travelled to Cuba to participate in a series of events organised by WIPO and OCPI.

“Participants included academia, local industry, IP professionals, and government officials, and focused primarily on patents and technology transfer issues,” he explained.

Officials were able to conduct the first face-to-face meetings with OCPI staff in more than 50 years, according to Slifer.