Quevedo & Ponce - Noticias Legales
Administrative Tribunal of Quito Protects the Rights of a Designation Of Origin Registered in the European Union and WIPO
- February 17th, 2025
- Quevedo & Ponce
Floralp S.A., an Ecuadorian company dedicated to the production of dairy products, sought registration of the trademark “FLORALP FONTINA & DESIGN.” This request was objected to by the law firm Quevedo & Ponce, representing the Consorzio Produttori e Tutela della DOP FONTINA, a foreign entity that administers the designation of origin “FONTINA” to identify cheeses produced under specific conditions from the milk of certain breeds of cows existing in the Aosta Valley, Italy. The National Service of Intellectual Rights of Ecuador rejected the application due to the risk of confusion with products from this region.
Subsequently, Floralp S.A. filed a legal suit before the District Administrative Litigation Tribunal, seated in the Metropolitan District of Quito, requesting the declaration of illegality of this administrative decision. The company argued that the designation of origin “FONTINA” had not been registered in Ecuador and, therefore, should not be protected.
During the trial, evidence was presented demonstrating the historical recognition and registration of the designation of origin “FONTINA,” including: The Italian Presidential Decree of October 30, 1955; the International System of Designations of Origin Register of WIPO No. 503 of June 13, 1969; and the Official Bulletin of the European Union of June 21, 1996, which confirm the registration of FONTINA as a designation of origin.
On February 5, 2025, the Administrative Litigation Tribunal issued its written decision, rejecting the claim. The judgment was based on the possibility of consumer confusion if FONTINA were used as a trademark. The decision applied the mandatory criteria established by the Court of Justice of the Andean Community in multiple preliminary rulings regarding the provisions contained in Decision 486 of the Andean Community. These interpretations were also applied in national cases related to the designations of origin “PISCO” and “TEQUILA,” as well as the geographical indication “ALPINA,” among others.
This ruling is grounded in Article 135 of Decision 486 of the Andean Community, which prohibits the registration as a trademark of signs that could mislead commercial agents or the public, particularly with respect to geographical origin, nature, manufacturing process, characteristics, quality, or suitability for use of the products or services in question.
Moreover, the Tribunal determined that, although FONTINA had not been declared a designation of origin in Ecuador at the time of Floralp’s application, the fact that its use could mislead consumers, who might associate products under this brand with cheeses and milk from the Aosta Valley, constituted a risk of confusion.
Quevedo & Ponce, representing the Consorzio Produttori e Tutela della DOP FONTINA, reaffirms its commitment to the defense of intellectual property rights.
Más Artículos
Corporate Transformation and Sports Joint Stock Companies: Effects of the Constitutional Court Decision that Invalidated the Organic Law of National Solidarity
The Constitutional Court of Ecuador declared the total unconstitutionality of the Organic Law of National Solidarity, determining that it was enacted in violation of the principle of unity of subject matter and the ordinary legislative procedure. This decision nullifies the obligations imposed upon Simplified Stock Companies (S.A.S.) and Sports Joint Stock Companies (S.A.D.), restoring the previous regulatory framework and reaffirming both the supremacy of constitutional review and the need of maintaining normative coherence within the Ecuadorian legal system.
Transformación Societaria y Sociedades Anónimas Deportivas: Efectos de la sentencia constitucional que dejó sin vigencia la Ley Orgánica de Solidaridad Nacional
La Corte Constitucional del Ecuador declaró la inconstitucionalidad total de la Ley Orgánica de Solidaridad Nacional, al determinar que fue aprobada vulnerando el principio de unidad de materia y el procedimiento legislativo ordinario. Esta decisión deja sin efecto las obligaciones impuestas a las Sociedades por Acciones Simplificadas (S.A.S.) y a las Sociedades Anónimas Deportivas (S.A.D.), restableciendo el marco normativo previo y reafirmando la supremacía del control constitucional y la necesidad de mantener la coherencia normativa en el sistema jurídico ecuatoriano.
Mediation: An effective and legal way to resolve conflicts in Ecuador
Mediation is a conflict resolution process whereby the parties, assisted by a neutral third party called a mediator, seek to reach a voluntary agreement on a negotiable matter, in an extrajudicial and definitive manner. This mechanism promotes fast, confidential, and fair solutions that have the same legal validity as a final judgment, fostering dialogue and a culture of peace in Ecuador.
Mediación: una vía eficaz y legal para resolver conflictos en Ecuador
La mediación es un método alternativo de solución de conflictos mediante el cual las partes, asistidas por un tercero neutral llamado mediador, procuran un acuerdo voluntario sobre materia transigible, de carácter extrajudicial y definitivo. Este procedimiento permite alcanzar soluciones ágiles, confidenciales y con el mismo valor jurídico que una sentencia ejecutoriada, fomentando el diálogo y la cultura de paz en Ecuador.
New Rules for Communal and Savings Funds: A Framework of Control and Transparency
The Superintendence of Popular and Solidarity Economy (SEPS) has established new rules for the incorporation, governance, and liquidation of communal and savings funds, effective as of November 20, 2025. This regulatory framework strengthens the transparency, monitoring, and financial security, ensuring that these community-based entities can manage resources, grant loans, and contribute to the development of the popular and solidarity economy.
