Blessed T-MEC and World Cup 2026
In the midst of the attention that the initiative to reform the Amparo Law has attracted in the legal environment, two events were presented that point to the future of innovation and development in the country: the initiative to reform the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property (LFPPI), which from its origin takes as a reference circumstances such as the revision of the T-MEC and the 2026 World Cup, and the publication of the Global Innovation Index 2025 (GII), which confirms the challenges we face.
The reform of the LFPPI is no coincidence. It anticipates that we must be prepared for the review of the T-MEC and the 2026 World Cup, two circumstances that, among others, highlight the urgency of modernising our intellectual property (IP) legal framework. The proposal includes measures to streamline procedures, strengthen technology transfer and give IMPI new functions.
The GII again reminded us of an uncomfortable truth: Mexico invents, but little is patented, and the little that is patented rarely reaches the market. This year we dropped from 56th to 58th place. This may seem a minor setback, but in terms of innovation it reflects stagnation. That a country of our size fails to reflect this is a reminder that we are still failing to close the gap between potential and results and to translate innovation policies into concrete actions.
It is not all bad news. The report highlights that we have been better able to leverage investment in innovation to deliver results. It also confirms our strength in sectors linked to trade: we are the world's sixth largest exporter of creative goods, 13th in high-tech manufacturing and exports and 16th in imports. And, as I mentioned in my last article, CDMX debuted in the top 100 innovation clusters.
The reform of the LFPPI seeks to respond to these challenges with specific actions. Among other issues, it proposes new figures such as provisional patents, the reduction of deadlines and a mechanism of affirmative action so that the silence of the IMPI does not freeze proceedings. The part relating to artificial intelligence has received the most media attention, as it provides for sanctions for its misuse in IP infringements. However, a novelty of enormous scope has gone almost unnoticed: giving IMPI the role of assessor and valuator of intangible assets, a field little exploited by public brokers and which could transform the financing of innovation in Mexico.
The reform also looks ahead to the 2026 World Cup. For the first time, it expressly incorporates the figure of ambush marketing, the practice whereby brands that are not sponsors try to sneak into an event to take advantage of its fame without paying a penny. It is not just about t-shirts or advertisements around stadiums, but campaigns that seek to be indirectly associated with the event in order to obtain commercial benefits without having invested in it. Criminalising it as unfair competition is an important step to give certainty to sponsors and organisers, and to show seriousness not only as a host, but also as a country that respects and defends IP.
The big 'but' is that all these new developments add to IMPI's already long list of responsibilities. It is being asked for more speed, more enforcement and now also to take on novel functions. However, the Institute still lacks the room for self-management it needs in the management of its own resources. It has the talent and generates more than enough revenue, but the government's own bureaucratic locks are holding it back. Until this situation changes, any reform risks falling short in practice.
Today the clock is ticking on two fronts: the review of the T-MEC and the 2026 World Cup. Both are circumstances that, along with others, test Mexico's ability to turn reforms into results. The initiative points in the right direction, but its success will depend on IMPI being allowed freedom in the management of its resources. Otherwise, we run the risk of remaining with good intentions. Neither the T-MEC nor the World Cup will prevent us from falling behind.
