The president of EPO (European Patent Office) Benoît Battistelli and the director general of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO), Patricia García-Escudero Marquéz, signed an agreement to promote the quality and efficiency of the Latin American patent system to the benefit of its users and of European industry in particular. This agreement, which follows the successful completion of a similar agreement signed in 2011, will enable both offices to develop their co-operation by creating synergies, implementing joint actions, and better coordinating their respective activities in Latin America. It aims amongst others to improve access to and the public dissemination of Latin American patent information. “The knowledge society – Benoît Battistelli said – relies on the rapid spread of information, and the patent system has a special responsibility also for the broad diffusion of technological information. In this respect, the close and fruitful co-operation between the EPO and the STPO strongly contributes to ensuring lasting benefits to society both in Europe and in Latin America”.