During the AIPPI World Congress in San Francisco, AIPPI and ASIPI entered into a co-operation agreement. Luiz Henrique do Amaral, the then President of AIPPI and Enrique Diaz, President of ASIPI signed the agreement on behalf of the respective associations. Other members included from AIPPI were Annie Tsoi (Secretary General), Anne Marie Verschuur (the then Reporter General), Fernando Becerril (Assistant Secretary General), Raphael Atab (Assistant Reporter General), Judith Willert (Executive Director) and from ASIPI Luis Alejandro Henriquez (First Vice President), Elisabeth Siemsen (former President) and Juli Gutierrez (Executive Director) also attending the signing ceremony.
AIPPI and ASIPI have been working together for the last 20 years in their efforts to harmonise IP laws. Specifically, AIPPI has been hosting dedicated breakfast meetings during the ASIPI’s Annual Meetings to provide a platform for members of both associations to work together. This year, both associations would like to take a step further and enter into a formal agreement to enable more structured and strategic collaborations. Going forward, the two associations will work closely together in terms of sharing academic, technical and scientific information and activities, carrying out joint or co-ordinated investigations, studies and programs in the areas of common interest and creating other opportunities where the two associations will be able to put in joint efforts to achieve a greater impact.