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Chile Becomes Seventh Participating Country to join the IAP

March 31, 2022

Today, the National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) and WIPO launched the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) in Chile. This makes Chile the seventh participating country in the IAP, joining the ranks of Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and South Africa.

The IAP supports inventors and small businesses with limited resources transform their innovation into commercial assets. The Program helps these innovators by matching them with a volunteer patent attorney or agent that helps them navigate the patent system at no cost. The IAP benefits from a global network of volunteers that provide patent drafting and prosecution services to beneficiaries in their own country and beyond.

As one most innovative countries in Latin America, the IAP has the potential to enhance Chile’s already robust innovation ecosystem. Chile has led the region as the most innovative country for the last seven years according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021. Many of these innovators file for patent or utility model protection in Chile each year, representing themselves before INAPI. Without expert guidance on how to get through the system, some give up in early stages of the process. Their ideas never get evaluated on their merits.

INAPI joined the IAP to change that. “Chile's accession to the Inventor Assistance Program is tremendous news for the country because, it serve as an equalizer, delivering access to industrial property knowledge for those innovators who, despite having good ideas, face difficulties in transforming them into high-value patented assets,” said Loreto Bresky, INAPI’s Director General. Pairing inventors with experts that have deep knowledge of the patent system is imperative to realizing Chile’s innovation potential.

Through this partnership between INAPI and WIPO, independent inventors and small businesses increase their chances to benefit from what the patent system has to offer. “Obtaining a patent could be the boost Chile’s inventors need to transform their vision into the next NotCo, Betterfly, Cornershop, or Woodnic,” said Marco Alemán, Assistant Director General, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector at the WIPO.

Patents give their owners control over the destiny of their invention. According to IAP Steering Committee Member Audrey Yap, securing these rights can “be a catalyst for getting products to the market place, for deployment and use, to incentivize investment, resulting in useful products getting into the community.” Getting to the stage where this can happen requires support of the local patent profession.

Chile joins the IAP today, with support of a cadre of patent attorneys ready to champion local innovators. “We thank in advance each of these volunteers – who are committing to supporting their fellow citizens by increasing their chances of success, for their pro bono service, to the benefit of Chilean society,” said Mr. Alemán.

The launch of the IAP positions marks a step towards a brighter, innovation-fueled future for Chile and society as a whole.

Video Messages

Loreto Bresky
Director General, INAPI

Marco Alemán
Assistant Director General,
IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, WIPO

Audrey Yap
Assistant Director General,
IAP Steering Committee Member and Managing Partner at YUSARN AUDREY Singapore

Want to learn more about the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP)?

Visit the IAP Online Platform to learn more about how to become an IAP beneficiary or volunteer, or to find more information on the Program.

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