IPR Toolkit
"The United States Mission in Mexico recognizes the imperative of strong intellectual property rights protection (IPR) for American business, and is working to help the Government of Mexico find ways to improve IPR enforcement in Mexico. We know that stolen, pirated, and counterfeit goods undermine investment opportunities and can significantly impact market share for U.S. companies. We are also aware of the considerable efforts Mexico has made in recent years to improve IPR protection, although a lot of work remains." –Amb. Garza |
Overview of IPR Situation in Mexico
Comments, Questions, Suggestions
Industry Specific Issues
Alcoholic Beverages ♦ Agreement between the European Commission and the United States of Mexico concerning the mutual recognition and protection of designations for spirits, signed in May 1997. Acuerdo entre los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y la Comunidad Europea sobre el reconocimiento mutuo y la protección de las denominaciones en el sector de las bebidas espirituosas, firmado en mayo de 1997 http://www.economia.gob.mx/pics/p/p1376/A108.pdf
Plant Variety Protection ♦ Federal Law on Plant Varieties, published by decree in October 1996. Ley Federal de Variedades Vegetales publicada por decreto de octubre de 1996 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/120.pdf
♦ Regulations under the Federal Law on Plant Varieties, published by decree in September 1998. Reglamento de la Ley Federal de Variedades Vegetales, publicado por decreto de septiembre de 1998 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/regla/Reg_LFVV.pdf
Copyrights
Copyrights and related rights are governed by the Mexican Federal Copyright Law, December 1996, as amended May 1997.
♦ Ley Federal del Derecho de Autor http://www.cddhcu.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/122.pdf
♦ Regulations under the Federal Copyright Law, May 1998 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/regla/Reg_LFDA.pdf
Additional Information on Mexican Copyright Laws For Copyright: Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor (INDAUTOR) National Copyright Institute http://www.sep.gob.mx/wb2/sep/sep_459_indautor Tel.: (5255) 5230-7630 Fax: (5255) 5230-7644
Patents and Trade Marks
Patents, Industrial Designs and Trade Marks are considered “Industrial Property” in Mexico. They are regulated by the Industrial Property Law, published by decree in August 1994, amended in December 1997 and in May 1999.
♦ Ley de la Propiedad Industrial publicada por decreto de agosto de 1994, reformada diciembre de 1997 y mayo de 1999 http://www.cddhcu.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/50.pdf
♦ Reglamento de la Ley de la Propiedad Industrial publicado por decreto de noviembre de1994. Regulations under the Industrial Property Law, published by decree in November 1994. http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/regla/Reg_LPI.pdf
Additional Information on Mexican Laws For Industrial Property: Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Intelectual (IMPI) Mexican Institute of Industrial Property http://www.impi.gob.mx Tel.: (5255) 5624-0401, 5555-4260 Fax: (5255) 5624-0473
Enforcement
Listed here are various Mexican government agencies and links to the full text of IPR related laws.
Industrial Property
Supervisory Ministry: Secretaría de Economía Secretariat of Economics http://www.economia.gob.mx/ Alfonso Reyes No. 30 Col. Hipódromo de la Condesa C.P. 06179, México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5729-9100 Fax: (5255) 5729-9320
Industrial Property Office: Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) Mexican Institute of Industrial Property http://www.impi.gov.mx Av. Periférico Sur No 3106 Col. Jardines del Pedregal C.P. 01900, México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5624-0400; 5624-4637; 5624-4638; 5624-0401; 5624-0402 Fax: (5255) 5624-0406; 5624-0418
Copyright and Related Rights
Supervisory Ministry: Secretaría de Educación Pública Secretariat of Public Education http://www.sep.gob.mx/ Argentina No. 28, piso 2 Col. Centro C.P. 06029, México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5328-1030 Fax: (5255) 5657-6692; 5521-6212
Copyright Office: Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor (INDAUTOR) National Institute of Copyright http://www.sep.gob.mx/wb2/sep/sep_459_indautor Dinamarca No. 84, piso 3 Col. Juárez C.P. 06600, México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5230-7630 Fax: (5255) 5230-7644
♦ Customs Law, published by decree in October 1996, amended December 30, 2002. Ley Aduanera publicada por decreto de octubre de 1996 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/12.pdf
Federal Law of Civil Procedures, published by decree in 1942. Código Federal de Procedimientos Civiles publicado por decreto de la Federación en 1942 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/6.pdf
Federal Law of Penal Procedures, published by decree in 1934. Código Federal de Procedimientos Penales publicado por decreto de la Federación en 1934 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/leyinfo/pdf/7.pdf
ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES ENFORCING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Industrial Property Tribunal and Copyright Tribunal District judges and collegiate tribunals on circuit hear both civil and penal cases.
Contact: See above, under Industrial Property Office.
Other Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) Federal Prosecutor http://www.pgr.gob.mx Fiscalía Especial en Delitos de Propiedad Intelectual e Industrial (FEDPII) Special Prosecutor Area on Intellectual Property Crimes Reforma No. 72, 4° Piso Col. Guerrero, Del. Cuauhtémoc México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5346-1326; 5346-1327 Fax: (5255) 5346-1469
Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP) Secretariat of Finances http://www.shcp.gob.mx/ Administración General de Aduanas General Customs Administration http://www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx/webadunet/body.htm Av. Hidalgo No. 77 Módulo 4, 3° Piso Col. Guerrero C.P. 06300, México D.F. Tel.: (5255) 5228-3436; 5228-3438 Fax: (5255) 5228-3353; 5228-3351
Secretaría de Agricultura Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA) Secretariat of Agriculture, Farming, Rural Development, Fishing and Food http://ganaderia.sagarpa.gob.mx Departamento de Organismos Agrícolas y Variedades Vegetales Department of Agricultural Organisms and Plant Varieties Calle del Oro No. 19 – 2° piso Col. Roma C.P. 06700, México D.F. Fax: (5255) 5525-1044
Reference Materials
Key Internet sites and relevant articles
Mexican Membership in International Bodies:
a. Membership of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaties:
- WIPO Convention, since June 1975.
- Paris Convention (Industrial Property), since September 1903
- Berne Convention (Literary and Artistic Works), since June 1967.
- PCT (Patents), since January 1995.
- Nice Agreement (International Classification of Goods and Services), since March 2001.
- Lisbon Agreement (Appellations of Origin), since September 1966.
- Locarno Agreement (International Classification for Industrial Designs) since January 2001.
- Strasbourg Agreement (International Patent Classification), from October 2001.
- Rome Convention (Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations), since May 1964.
- Geneva Convention (Unauthorized Duplication of Phonograms), since December 1973.
- Vienna Agreement (International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks), since January 2001.
- Brussels Convention (Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite), since August 1979.
- Budapest Treaty (Deposit of Micro-organisms), since March 2001.
- Nairobi Treaty (Olympic Symbol), since May 1985.
- WCT (WIPO Copyright Treaty), since March 2002.
- WPPT (WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty), since May 2002.
b. WTO: Member and Signatory to TRIPS Agreement, since January 1995.
- Membership of Other bodies/treaties: APEC, G-3, NAFTA, UCC, UPOV.
- Member of APEC since November 1993.
- Member of G-3 since December 1994.
- Member of NAFTA since January 1994.
- Member of UCC since February 1957.
- Member of UPOV since August 1997.