A “country brand” is a trademark that is clearly associated with certain qualities, goods or services of a country. Hence, in practice, it functions as an instrument for promoting national goods and services in the international market.
As you will understand, the consolidation of a country brand in international markets is usually a process of years, sometimes even decades. Uruguay began to follow this path in 2001, when the Presidency of the Republic registered the trademark “Uruguay Natural” with the National Directorate of Industrial Property (“DNPI”). From then on, those who wish to make use of the “Uruguay Natural” trademark must comply with a series of requirements and obligations, including a manual for the use of the trademark.
Recently, the Executive Branch issued a Decree that aims to regulate the use of some sectoral brands of goods and services that URUGUAY XXI has been promoting in coordination with various export and service sectors (“the Decree”). The aim is to establish guidelines to regulate the proper use of these signs and denominations, so that the country brand fully satisfies its raison d’être: to identify certain products and services, always associated with Uruguay.
The Decree approved the continuation of the creation of the following sectoral brands linked to the country brand:
(a) ‘Uruguay Meats’, with its associated variants ‘Uruguay Beef’, ‘Uruguay Lamb’, ‘Uruguay Pork’, ‘Uruguay Poultry’ and ‘Uruguay Beef and Lamb’
(b) ‘Uruguay Fruits’
(c) ‘Uruguay Wine’
(d) ‘Uruguay Wools’
(e) ‘Uruguay Digital’
(f) ‘Uruguay LogÃstico’
(g) ‘Uruguay Audiovisual’
(h) ‘Uruguay Technology’
The registration of these trademarks will be requested by URUGUAY XXI before the DNPI, which will establish the conditions of use of these trademarks and will be the entity in charge of granting authorizations or licenses for their use by third parties.
This communication is for information purposes only. It cannot and should not be understood as legal advice from this firm. Bergstein has a team of specialists who can be contacted to assist you in this matter. If you have any questions regarding this material, please contact Dr. Silvina Vila (svila@bergsteinlaw.com).
