AIPPI Reach Out Series in Santo Domingo

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We are delighted to invite you to join us from 2 July to 3 July 2026 at InterContinental Real in Santo Domingo. IP elite from the region are expected to come together at the AIPPI Reach Out Series | Santo Domingo Edition & IV Congress of AIPPI CA-Caribbean Regional Group. This premier event is jointly brought to you by AIPPI and the AIPPI Regional Group of Central America and Caribbean. This is the first edition of the AIPPI Reach Out Series organised in this region.

As a global and inclusive association, AIPPI places great importance on engagement with all our members and stakeholders in different parts of the world. Through the Reach Out Series organized in collaboration with important partners, AIPPI reaches out to engage with the IP community in various parts of the world. AIPPI Central America & Caribbean Regional Group was established in 2013 and spans 9 countries, including Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Belize, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

This event presents an excellent opportunity to connect with IP professionals from across the region and to have those conversations on IP issues that matter.

The programme will feature:

Panels on emerging and relevant IP topics
Valuable networking opportunities
Evening events and social activities
Sponsorship opportunities for organizations wishing to participate more actively

02 July 2026

Time	Session
08:30 – 09:00	Registration
09:00 – 09:20	Opening Remarks Lorenza Ferrari Hofer (President, AIPPI) and Estuardo Jauregui (President of AIPPI of the Regional Group for Central America and the Caribbean)
09:20 – 10:45	Panel 1 – Compulsory Licensing The panel will discuss AIPPI resolution passed in September 2025 during Yokohama Congress. The key discussion areas on Resolution and highlights thereof. The resolution focuses on establishing a harmonized framework for the use of compulsory licensing across jurisdictions. It is firmly anchored in Articles 31 and 31bis of the TRIPS Agreement, ensuring international consistency. The resolution characterizes compulsory licensing as an exceptional measure, justified only in cases of overriding public interest such as emergencies. It clarifies the scope and subject matter of compulsory licenses, emphasizing their limited and well-defined application. The framework confirms that compulsory licensing applies strictly to patent rights and does not extend to trade secrets, confidential information, or technical know-how. It reinforces the territorial nature of such licenses, while recognizing TRIPS provisions for cross-border supply. A key objective is to enhance legal certainty, predictability, and proportionality in national legal systems. The resolution also establishes clear procedural safeguards to guide authorities in granting licenses. It underscores the importance of good faith efforts to obtain voluntary licenses before resorting to compulsory measures. Finally, it promotes case-by-case determination of reasonable remuneration to ensure fairness to patent holders while addressing public needs. Speakers: Ana Claudia Mamede Carneiro, Carlos Fernández-Dávila
10:45 – 11:15	Coffee Break
11:15 – 12:40	Panel 2 – Online Infringements: Latest Trends, Enforcement Tools and Platform Responsibility Online infringement is evolving rapidly as commerce shifts to marketplaces, social media, search and “messaging-app” sales. Not surprisingly, e-commerce and social media have become the primary gateways for counterfeit and infringing goods/services—often through cross-border sellers, informal “social commerce”, and logistics routes that make enforcement challenging. AIPPI has recently addressed aspects of this problem in its Resolutions on “Responsibility of online marketplaces for online infringement” and “Trade Marks and the Internet and Social Media”. Using such AIPPI’s guidance as a springboard — especially (i) the approach to online marketplace responsibility, including the role of “safe harbours”, neutrality criteria, and robust notice-and-takedown / stay-down systems, and (ii) enforcement mechanisms on platforms, jurisdiction/targeting factors, and influencer liability — panel will offer a practical, cross-industry discussion for rights holders, platforms and policymakers. Speakers: Maria Del Rosario, Barbara Castro
12:40	Lunch
14:00 – 15:30	Panel 3 – Fame, Reputation & Enforcement: The Latin America Playbook for Well-Known Marks TRIPS Article 16(3) and Paris Convention Article 6bis establish that well-known marks may be protected beyond similar goods and services. In Latin America, however, the scope of this “expanded protection” remains uneven, driven by different definitions of well-known, famous and/or highly reputed marks, varying evidentiary thresholds, and divergent views on what constitutes harm and even fame. This panel will compare the approaches of different Latin American jurisdictions to (i) recognition criteria and proof (market presence, advertising, digital footprint, surveys), (ii) protection against use on dissimilar goods/services, and (iii) theories of harm such as association, dilution, and unfair advantage/free-riding. It will also offer a sneak peek at the brand-new, soon-to-be-published volume in the AIPPI – Wolters Kluwer Law Series on well-known, famous and highly reputed trademarks. Moderator: Graciela Perez de Inzaurraga, Speakers: Maria Pia Guerra, Ximena Abodano Castellanos, Eryck Castillo
15:30 – 16:00	Coffee Break
16:00 – 17:30	Panel 4 – AI and IP: the AIPPI’s Take AIPPI has maintained an active voice on the interaction between Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property, developing policy positions and practical guidance as AI tools and use cases evolve at speed. As AI capabilities—and their use in R&D and creativity—have accelerated, AIPPI’s policy work has expanded accordingly. And all this since 2003, when Artificial Intelligence was first addressed by an AIPPI Resolution. The Reporter General Team will provide guided tour of AIPPI’s key resolutions and current workstream on AI and IP, highlighting the practical issues they address and the direction of travel for rights holders and practitioners. The discussion will cover, in particular, AIPPI’s past work on “Inventorship of inventions made using AI”, “Inventiveness and sufficiency of disclosure in AI inventions”, “Copyright in artificially generated works” and, more generally, “AI & copyrights”. Moderator: Ralph Nack / Johanna Flythstrom, Speakers: Guillaume Henry, Rafal Atab, Klaudia Blach-Morysinska, Mamta Rani Jha, Yanfeng Xiong
17:30 – 17:45	Closing Remarks
18:00 – 19:30	Cocktail

03 July 2026 (Event in Spanish)

Time	Session
08:30 – 09:00	Registration
09:00 – 09:15	Opening Remarks
09:15 – 10:00	Keynote Speaker Alfonso Lua Reyes BEYOND THE FIELD: BROADCASTING RIGHTS, STREAMING, AND REAL-TIME WEBSITE BLOCKING FOR THE WORLD CUP IN MEXICO
10:00 – 11:00	Panel 1 – Beyond Competition: The Role of Patents in Sports Sports technology has evolved tremendously, and behind every innovation lies an intellectual property protection system that makes it possible. In this panel, we will explore how patents have transformed modern sports, from equipment to officiating systems and data analysis. Starting with the general requirements for patentability as a framework for understanding what can be protected, we will analyse, through specific cases, innovations that have marked a turning point in the world of sports—related to sports equipment and instruments, apparel, training systems, sports surfaces and facilities, technological systems, and smart devices, among others. One conclusion stands out: how very different innovations share the same purpose—solving technical problems. Patents no longer merely improve sports; today, they play a direct role in shaping the decisions that govern them. Moderator: Maria del Pilar Troncoso, Speakers: Luisa Castillo, Mauricio Escoto, Mary Fernández
11:00 – 11:15	Coffee Break
11:15 – 12:15	Panel 2 – Brand Protection: Playing to Win When designing strategies for any competition—particularly in sports, and especially in high-level competitions such as the World Cup—it is essential to consider both defensive and offensive aspects, as well as the potential opponent, in order to be in a position to “Play to Win.” Similarly, an effective trademark protection strategy—both preventive and corrective—involves a careful analysis of various trademark-related issues and effective measures to prevent or curb acts of unfair competition. The presentation will address mechanisms for trademark protection and strategies to curb unfair competition, such as ‘ambush marketing’, which is becoming increasingly common at these types of sporting events. The impact of ‘upcycling’ that may constitute improper use or distortion of ‘trade dress’ will be analyzed, as will the requirement to change stadium names, among other issues. Similarly, the discussion will address the effectiveness of the infringement and enforcement procedures provided for by law against criminal conduct arising at these events, such as the unauthorized use of trademarks and the sale of counterfeit products. Relevant cases on these topics will be discussed. Moderator: Martin Michaus, Speakers: Michelle Guzmán, Ricardo Zúñiga, Vanessa Cabrera
12:15 – 13:15	Panel 3 – Image Rights and Licenses: From Visibility to Strategic Asset A celebrity’s image is not just a distinctive trait: it is one of the most powerful intangible assets in the world of marketing and advertising. How does it become a valuable asset? How is it protected? How is it negotiated? This presentation will address the key role of endorsements in branding and business, and how the licensing and exploitation of a celebrity’s image are structured through carefully drafted contracts. We will analyse its legal nature and the essential clauses that determine its scope, presenting practical examples that reveal both opportunities and risks. Additionally, we will discuss its relationship to—and differences from—artists’ related rights, its interaction with brands, unfair competition, and artificial intelligence, as well as its impact on reputation and personal privacy. Sports and broadcasting rights will also take centre stage, demonstrating how one’s image can serve as the cornerstone of solid and highly profitable business models. This presentation is designed to provide a strategic perspective on how to transform one’s image into value and build businesses around it. Moderator: Monika Fiallo, Speakers: Luis Henríquez, Rafael Ortín
13:30 – 15:00	Lunch
15:00 – 17:00	Interactive IP Workshop ‘Jeopardy’-style Game
17:00 – 17:15	Closing Remarks
17:30 – 19:30	Cocktail

The event will be held at the InterContinental Real Santo Domingo.

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AIPPI Reach Out Series I Santo Domingo Edition & IV Congress of the AIPPI CA-Caribbean Regional Group