AIPPI CA-CARIB launches the “Moot IP Case Program” to Strengthen Legal Training in the Region

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Regional Group of Central America and the Caribbean of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI CA-CARIB), I am delighted to announce the launch of the first-ever Moot Intellectual Property Case Competition for lawyers in our region. To this end, we have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the Dispute Resolution Center of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CRECIG), which will serve as the inaugural host on 13 November, and with the final round scheduled for March 2026.

The competition, which will begin in the 2025–2026 cycle, offers lawyers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in arbitration, mediation, and conciliation of intellectual property disputes.

This initiative offers young professionals (with 2–10 years of legal practice) practical training in alternative dispute resolution, while fostering stronger regional collaboration in intellectual property. Each year, a designated Dispute Resolution Center will host the opening and final rounds, with simultaneous participation from all countries via videoconference. We seek to establish exclusive cooperation agreements with a Center in every participating country. These Centers will assist with technical mentorship and facilities, ensuring equal opportunities for all participants.

The agreement designates CRECIG as AIPPI CA-CARIB’s exclusive partner in Guatemala. Our Board is also finalizing discussions with other Dispute Resolution Centers in the region, with the aim that each national Center will actively support and promote this program. Among our objectives are the promotion of professional training in intellectual property law, the encouragement of arbitration and mediation as effective methods of dispute resolution, and the strengthening of the international profile of regional institutions in the field of IP.

The agreement will remain in effect for an open-ended term, with the objective of achieving an effective rotation among all participating countries every three to five years. We are confident that this Moot Competition will make a meaningful contribution to the IP community, and we look forward to its positive impact.

Stay tuned for the official launch of the program in the coming weeks!