AVS & ASOCIADOS present at the EXPO PY 2025 Business Roundtable
Yesterday, AVS & ASOCIADOS – Comprehensive Legal Services, actively participated in the Multisectoral Business Roundtable of EXPO PY 2025, held at the Convention Center. This international event brought together more than 500 companies and entrepreneurs from over 20 countries, solidifying its position as a true business networking platform. During the day, our team had the honor of presenting the legal, notarial, corporate and investment services we offer, generating valuable strategic alliances with key players in the productive, commercial, technological and service sectors. What did we achieve? We established high-value contacts with national and international businesspeople interested in investing and operating in Paraguay. We provide real-time advice on legal structures for foreign companies. We share concrete solutions in matters of migration, company formation, asset protection, intellectual property, regulatory compliance and notarial procedures. We are introducing our new Subscription Legal Services platform, designed to offer agile, personalized and strategic assistance to companies of all sizes. This meeting allowed us to create lasting ties and generate opportunities for multi-sector collaboration, reaffirming our commitment to providing legal certainty, facilitating business and promoting business development within and outside the country. If you are starting a business, expanding your business or investing in Paraguay, AVS & ASOCIADOS is your strategic partner.
AVS & ASOCIADOS & Argentine Embassy
Last Wednesday, August 13, we had the honor of participating in the meeting organized by the Argentine Embassy in Paraguay, together with the Argentine Fintech Chamber and the Paraguayan Fintech Chamber. Attorney Manuel Sola Argaña was invited as a speaker to discuss the regulatory framework of the fintech sector in Paraguay and the main aspects to consider when establishing companies in the country. During the presentation, we shared with entrepreneurs, investors, and colleagues a practical look at the opportunities that Paraguay offers as a hub for financial and legal innovation. We thank the Argentine Embassy for the invitation, as well as all attendees for the valuable exchange of ideas.We will continue working on our commitment to providing legal certainty, transparency, and strategic support to those who place their trust in us. AVS & ASSOCIATES – Comprehensive Legal ServicesArgaña Notary Office – AVS IP Law
Korean Supreme Court accepts registration of generic word as trademark
Today we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, congratulations to all! For this reason, we want to share the following article with you: South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that the word “Yangtangguk,” an archaic term for coffee in Korea, is valid for use as a coffee shop brand.This ruling comes after an appeal against the country’s Intellectual Property Appeals and Trials Board, which had determined that the use of this obsolete term as a trademark was invalid. As a result, a local coffee franchise that had registered the word as a trademark years ago was unable to use it freely.The word “Yangtangguk” translates to “Western soup” and was the noun for coffee from the late 14th to the early 20th century. The word also currently designates the “Yangtangguk Coffee Culture Center,” which recreates the coffee culture of the Korean Empire in Hadong Province and promotes other brands as part of a tourism campaign.The trademark was registered as an image, in Korean characters, by Mr. Kyoung Il Hong, a businessman who, shortly after registration, faced a challenge from a local coffee franchise. The franchise petitioned the Korean Intellectual Property Office to invalidate the trademark, arguing that yangtangguk, as a generic/noun term, could not be monopolized as a trademark by a single individual.Although Article 7 of the Korean Trademark Law of 2007 states that trademarks that could cause confusion with another person’s goods or services cannot be registered, given that they are recognized by consumers as designating a third party’s goods or services, the Supreme Court held that “it cannot be definitively stated that a consumer will perceive a particular product as the item representing the specific product (perceiving yangtangguk as coffee) simply because the product uses the previously used name.”The Court ruled that the invalidation was not warranted, as it found no clear evidence demonstrating that consumers would confuse the archaic term with the product. Furthermore, he insisted that the trademark cannot be invalidated because the modern consumer, upon hearing or reading the word “yangtangguk,” does not immediately think of coffee.This is, to date, the first decision in Korea to accept archaic and obsolete words as trademarks, as it does not consider the use of an antiquated noun as grounds for invalidating a trademark. This sets a precedent, contrary to many global legislations that prohibit the registration of generic words as trademarks unless they serve to prevent the establishment of monopolies, provided certain conditions are met, beginning with safeguarding the uniqueness of a product or service.In Paraguay, Law 1.294, the Trademark Law, states in Article 2, section “e” that signs consisting entirely of a generic name or designation of the product or service in question, or that could be used in commerce to qualify or describe any characteristic of the product or service, cannot be registered as trademarks. When an individual or company wishes to register a name of this nature, there are often several recommendations to consider.For more information, please contact us at info@avs.com.py