Welcome to the newest issue of our newsletter devoted to legal updates that affect clients throughout Latin America with operations or investments in the United States. In this issue we bring you thought leadership from practice areas such as intellectual property, AI and Cybersecurity, and Cannabis, Hemp & CBD.
As Latin American beverage and consumer product companies look to expand their reach into the U.S. market, one of the most crucial steps to ensure business success is clearing and securing trademark rights. When entering the US market, most companies want to use the same brands, to take advantage of the brand’s recognition in the US among the Hispanic community already familiar with it. However, trademark rights are national in scope, and so it is critical to check for conflicting marks in the US and if conflicts are found, to consider alternatives or risks in proceeding. Because US trademark rights are based on use in commerce, not strictly registration, companies entering the US need to think carefully about how to pursue trademark registration in the new US market. In the US, registration of trademark rights is critical to establish nationwide rights, procedural advantages in court, and presumption of validity. Few legal investments are as valuable.
EN ESPANOL
A medida que las empresas latinoamericanas de bebidas y productos de consumo buscan expandir su alcance en el mercado estadounidense, uno de los pasos más cruciales para garantizar el éxito comercial es la compensación y la protección de los derechos de marca. Al ingresar al mercado estadounidense, la mayoría de las empresas quieren usar las mismas marcas, para aprovechar el reconocimiento de la marca en los EE. UU. entre la comunidad hispana que ya están familiarizados con ella. Sin embargo, los derechos de marca son de alcance nacional, por lo que es fundamental verificar si hay marcas conflictivas en los EE. UU. y, si se encuentran conflictos, considerar alternativas o riesgos. A diferencia de la mayoría de los países Latinoamericanos, los derechos de marca de los EE. UU. se basan en el uso en el comercio, no estrictamente en el registro, las empresas que ingresan a los EE. UU. deben pensar detenidamente sobre cómo obtener el registro de marcas en el nuevo mercado de los EE. UU. En los EE. UU., el registro de los derechos de marca es fundamental para establecer los derechos a nivel nacional, las ventajas procesales en los tribunales y la presunción de validez. Pocas inversiones legales son tan valiosas.
The AI Regulatory Puzzle — from the EU to the U.S.
While artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for many years, the technology has exploded in both its use and development across virtually all industries in recent years. Although AI has the potential to be used in innovative and positive ways, it also can be used to perpetrate fraud and crime, cause discrimination and bias, promote and disseminate disinformation, violate personal privacy, and threaten national security. Thus, the rapid growth of AI technology and its associated risks has created an urgent need for regulation.
Understanding Tech Terms: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Cryptocurrency, and AI — Part VI
The digital frontier continues to expand at an unprecedented pace, with innovations in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cryptocurrencies, and data privacy reshaping our technological landscape. As these fields evolve, they bring forth a constellation of new concepts, each a star in its own right, forming galaxies of knowledge waiting to be explored. Part VI of this series introduces the intricate world of quantum computing to the nuanced concepts of zero-knowledge proofs. We aim to illuminate these complex ideas, making them accessible to both the curious novice and the seasoned tech enthusiast.
Cannabis in 2024: A Year in Review
In their latest column for Westlaw Today and Thomson Reuters, Alex Malyshev and Sarah Ganley, take a look at everything from legislative changes to market trends in 2024. In this article, they focus on some of the most significant developments of the past year and how they might affect the industry in the coming years under a new administration.
Contact
Bryan Hall, Partner and Chair of M&A Practice (hall@clm.com)
Alex Malyshev, Partner (malyshev@clm.com)
Jenn Topper, Business Development (topper@clm.com)