On January 24, 2025, the Intellectual Property Registry of Guatemala officially launched the Intellectual Property Registry Mediation Center, a new initiative that will be under its administration and will have the technological and technical support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Initially, the center will focus on the mediation of Copyright and Related Rights, with the projection of extending its services in the future to other areas of industrial property.
Certain limits were established regarding the cases that can be handled. Matters related to Intellectual Property that already have a final judicial resolution, or cases prohibited by current legislation, will not be admitted.
The service will be completely free and will be available to those parties who, voluntarily, wish to resort to mediation. The request to access the service can be made virtually through the platform enabled by WIPO.
Once the application has been received, the Intellectual Property Registry will carry out a qualification process and issue a resolution of admission or rejection. If admitted, a date and time will be assigned for the parties involved to appear at a hearing, which may be held online. In-person hearings may take place at the Registry’s headquarters, if the parties made the request, and in all cases, the hearings will be recorded for control and archiving purposes.
Cases that are subject to this voluntary mediation may conclude with the signing of agreements, either in private documents or through public deeds. These documents may reflect an agreement between the parties, the existence of partial agreements, or the impossibility of reaching a definitive agreement.
It is important to note that the mediators appointed by the Intellectual Property Registry have been specifically trained by the World Intellectual Property Organization, ensuring that they have the appropriate training to perform this important function.
If you are interested in using this mediation center, our Intellectual Property practice area will be happy to provide the necessary legal assistance.
For more information, contact us at [email protected]