The Community of Portuguese Language Countries or Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) is an intergovernmental organization for friendship among lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nations where Portuguese is an official language. Currently, it is constituted by 8 countries (Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, and East Timor) with a joint population between 240M and 250M people. This organization has the following objectives:

• The political and diplomatic coordination between its member states, in particular to strengthen its presence in the international arena;
• The cooperation in all fields, including education, health, science and technology, defense, agriculture, public administration, communications, justice, public safety, culture, sports and media;
• The materialization of projects for the promotion and dissemination of the Portuguese language.

In 2009, Portugal proposed the creation of the Lusophone Trade Mark, i.e., the creation of a unified trade mark registration system in the CLPL, whereby one registration provides protection in all the above mentioned countries.

Several diplomatic contacts were made since 2009 and, in the last few months, this project has gained momentum. In fact, between 7 and 9 November 2012, several meetings were held in Rio de Janeiro regarding this project; between 17 and 19 December 2012, new meetings were held in the Portuguese Industrial Property Office (INPI).

Yesterday, a press release was included in INPI’s website, stating that an additional round of meetings was being held, on 25 and 26 of February 2013, in Lisbon, and that the meeting agenda included the presentation of feasibility studies for the project and the discussion of the proposals for the Framework Agreement and for the Lusophone Trade Mark Regulations. It further stated that it is expected for 26 February 2013 the signature of a Final Declaration which aims to trigger the beginning of the necessary internal procedures with the governing and diplomatic bodies of all the CPLP countries in order to implement the project.

First the CTM, then the SES and now the LTM?