Find out how to register your trademark in Guatemala and protect your business’ unique signs. Plus, understand the importance of conducting a thorough trademark search in Guatemala to ensure your distinctive signs are unique.
When undertaking commercial or corporate activities in Latin America, consider obtaining exclusive rights to your intellectual property assets. This includes elements such as your product and service brands, distinctive signs (slogans and trade names). For business owners and executives in Guatemala, local legislation provides support to protect their intellectual assets and ensure that they profit from their innovations. In 2019, Guatemalan authorities approved over 10,000 trademark applications. Join this group of countries and secure your business by registering a trademark in Guatemala.
Guatemala is a country with great opportunities for doing business. Registering a trademark in Guatemala involves six general steps to register a trademark for your unique sign. This includes conducting a thorough trademark search in Guatemala’s database to ensure your designs are unique.
The public institution in charge of administering the trademark registration process in Guatemala is the Guatemalan Intellectual Property Registry (Registro de Propiedad Intelectual – RPI).
1. Engage with a local trademark specialist
Please note that trademark registration in Guatemala requires the advice of an active Guatemalan Lawyer and Notary.
2. Conduct a trademark search in Guatemala
As with other Latin American jurisdictions, the first step in a trademark registration process is to complete a preliminary trademark search in Guatemala. The trademark search can be completed online on the web platform of the Intellectual Property Registry (RPI).
3. Complete and submit your trademark application
Once you have verified that there is no identical or similar brand to the one you want to register, you can then complete and submit your application to the RPI.
4. Application evaluation
Once the application and supporting documentation have been submitted, the application goes through a thorough examination process with the RPI.
5. Publication of trademark application
If the trademark registration application passes the evaluation process, the RPI draws up an edict outlining the details of your pending trademark registration in Guatemala. This edict will be publicly available for 2 months, in order to allow time for third parties to respond to your proposed trademark.
6. Application approval
After 2 months of the publication of the edict, if the RPI has not received any objections to your proposed trademark registration in Guatemala, it will approve the application.
By registering a distinctive sign as a trademark in Guatemala, you obtain exclusive rights to the item or the characteristic of the registered sign and mitigate the risks of piracy. This includes protection of your sign registered in Guatemalan territory, the right to file civil, criminal and administrative legal actions against those who violate their property rights for their commercial benefit, and the right to license third parties and collect royalties, among others.
If you are interested in registering a trademark in Guatemala and need assistance to comply with the processes derived from these activities, we can help. Contact our expert team on trademarks and data protection here at Biz Latin Hub. We will provide you the support necessary to guarantee the long-term success of your business in Guatemala.
