Carlos Castillo

Practice Areas

Litigation

Dispute

Intellectual Property

Brand Protection

Career

Carlos is partner of the Romero Pineda Firm and director of the Litigation area, as well as legal advisor in various Intellectual Property matters such as Corporate and corporate matters that the firm represents. He is a consummate authority on Intellectual Property in El Salvador and the Central American region, being one of the first expert lawyers in drafting the Intellectual Property chapters in different international treaties signed by El Salvador.

He has more than 40 years of experience in Intellectual Property in which he has supported activities to defend the rights of this area.

In 1996, upon observing the need for control and surveillance of Intellectual Property in El Salvador, he was motivated to carry out joint work with Dr. Roberto Romero Pineda and the Attorney General of the Republic at that time to form the Protection Unit. of Intellectual Property, later the Intellectual Property Unit, leaving a legacy of utmost relevance in the observance and protection of Intellectual Property rights.

Carlos has been part of different chambers and associations in matters of Intellectual Property and Litigation both nationally and internationally. Thus, as a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador (AmCham), he organized the creation of the Intellectual Property committee. This effort to create a committee specialized in Intellectual Property was replicated and incorporated in the different Chambers. Americans from the entire Central American region.

He has participated in the Central American effort to modernize regional Intellectual Property legislation through various programs of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). From 2001 to 2002, he was part of the legal advisory team of the Ministry of Economy, in the drafting of the new Law on Trademarks and other Distinctive Signs.

In the realm of international treaties, he has served as legal advisor for the private sector in various negotiations. He acted as an advisor to the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI) during the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between Central America and Mexico (FTA), specifically in the dispute resolution and Intellectual Property discussions.

He also participated as an advisor to the Organization for Support to the Productive Sector in International Trade Negotiations (ODASP) in all negotiation rounds of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States of America and the Central American countries (CAFTA), particularly in the dispute settlement and Intellectual Property discussions.

Due to his experience in international treaty negotiations, Carlos was called upon to advise officials from the Government of El Salvador on protecting cultural traditions, particularly regarding the national dish, pupusas. In this capacity, Carlos recommended that the pupusa be officially recognized and declared as an expression of El Salvador's culinary tradition. He proposed designating a day for its celebration, leading to the declaration of the second Sunday of November as the "National Pupusa Day."

In his capacity as an international consultant, he has participated in events organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic (AmCham), Chemonics International, among others. His extensive experience in matters of Intellectual Property and his career spanning several decades in academia were key elements to be appointed legal advisor of the Republic of Peru in the internationally relevant case regarding the Pisco designation of origin.

For his key participation in the legal defense of the ownership and Peruvian origin of the Pisco Denomination of Origin, he was recognized in 2011 with the decoration of the “Order of Merit for Distinguished Services”, in the rank of Commander, by the Republic of Peru.

He is currently a professor of Intellectual Property at the José Matías Delgado University in the Faculty of Law and in other faculties such as Design, Communications and Economics. He has been a professor in a master's degree at the Technological University of El Salvador. He has also participated as a lecturer at the Mónica Herrera School of Communications and the Francisco Gavidia University, among other prestigious universities and schools, and has given seminars on Intellectual Property within the framework of CAFTA-DR: Registered Trademarks and Copyrights. He was appointed by the Culture Commission of the Honorable Supreme Court of Justice, as a lecturer on issues of Intellectual Property and International Trade, and has written numerous articles on Intellectual Property and Litigation, which have been published by institutions.

Professional Memberships

Carlos has been part of different chambers and associations in matters of Intellectual Property and Litigation both nationally and internationally. Thus, as a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador (AmCham), he organized the creation of the Intellectual Property committee. This effort to create a committee specialized in Intellectual Property was replicated and incorporated in the different Chambers. Americans from the entire Central American region.

This year he has been appointed as a delegate of the José Matías Delgado University for the formation and creation of the RED Center for Support of Technology and Innovation (CATI) together with the National Center for Records (CNR) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

He is a member of the Inter-American Intellectual Property Association (ASIPI) and has worked with the different subcommittees of the International Trademark Association (INTA) for several decades. He is a member and advisor of the Salvadoran Association of Designers-CROMA and has served as a founding member and president of the Intellectual Property Committee of AmCham El Salvador. He is currently legal advisor to the COEXPORT Franchise Committee.

Publications

https://issuu.com/derechoynegocios/docs/edici_n_124_dyn/s/16771142

Intellectual property for beginners – Disruptiva Magazine

https://diarioelsalvador.com/por-un-malentendido-conozca-el-curioso-origen-del-dia-nacional-de-la-pupusa/295017/

Expert in these Jurisdictions

El Salvador and Central America

Languages Spoken

Spanish and English

Industry Sector Expertise

Litigation

Unfair Competition

Anti-piracy

Arbitration and Mediation

Intellectual Property

Distribution Agency

Advertising

CAFTA

Trade

Consumer Rights

Contracts

Administrative Law

Franchises

Education

Awards