Marcasur, THROuGH ITS LaTINEsTaDIsTIcas DIVIsION

Marcasur, THROuGH ITS LaTINEsTaDIsTIcas DIVIsION

STATISTICS
Trademarks
and Patents
Marcasur, THROUGH ITS LATINESTADISTICAS DIVISION, conducted a survey of patent and trademark
offices and leading law firms in nineteen countries of Latin America to gather information on
the number of applications filed in 2014, the percentage of national and foreign applicants, the
procedures that can be carried out online, and how long it takes for patents and trademarks to
be granted. These are the results.
In 2014 trademark applications grew by
2.5% in Latin America. The countries with
the highest increase were Chile (27.4%),
the Dominican Republic (22.1%) and
Mexico (10.9%) (member of the Multiple
Classs Application System for Marks and
Distinctive Signs) .
A total of 2,698,073 trademark applications were filed between 2010 and 2014.
At the top of the list, with the greatest
number of applications, were Brazil,
Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, the
countries with the highest population
growth rates. But not all of these registered an increase.
Brazil, the most populated nation in the
region, the fifth largest in the world—with
over 200 million inhabitants—and the
country with the greatest number of intellectual property applications, had 2.4%
less trademark applications and 4.1% less
patent applications last year.
Ecuador is also a peculiar case. Although
the number of trademark applications filed
in Ecuador fell by 10.7% and the country
came in second to last in the list, it saw a
60.4% increase in the number of patent
applications, thus securing first place.
In all of Latin America, patent applications fell by 2.3% in 2014. Of the 19
countries surveyed, 11 decreased and
two (Nicaragua and El Salvador) did not
provide data. The lowest figure was reg16
istered in Bolivia, with -62.7%.
This study also revealed that in 2014
national applicants predominated in
trademarks and foreign applicants outnumbered nationals in patents.
Trademarks
The increase in the number of applications
for 2014 were secured by Chile (27.4%),
the Dominican Republic (22.1%), Mexico
(10.9%), Guatemala (8.4%), Colombia
(7.5%), Argentina (4.9 percent), and Costa
Rica (2.2%).
Peru remained stable, and Paraguay,
Panama, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Bolivia,
Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador,
and Venezuela decreased by 2.6% to 16%.
The most affected was Venezuela, which in
2014 had the lowest number of trademark
applications of the last four years, resulting in a drop of 16%, despite being the
seventh nation with the highest number of
applications from 2010 to 2014 (118,043)
(see Table 1).
National and Foreign Applicants
In 2014, 312,142 nationals filed trademark
applications, outnumbering foreign applicants with 67.2% of all applications. Of the
13 countries that provided data, Honduras
had the lowest number of both national
applicants (1956) and foreign applicants
(4951) (see Graphic 2).
Online Procedures
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and
Ecuador have enabled online trademark
registration systems, accessed through
the websites of their patent and trademark offices.
Others, such as Peru, the Dominican
Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Uruguay,
and Costa Rica allow applicants to carry
out certain procedures online, including
filing the initial application and paying
official fees (see Graphic 3).
Granting of Trademarks without
Opposition
In Latin America, the average time for the
granting of a trademark that has received
no oppositions is 9.2 months, although
there are some countries, such as Costa
Rica and the Dominican Republic, where
there is a three-month limit. The countries that take the longest are Brazil (36
months) and Cuba, where in practice it
takes from 15 to 18 months, although
Cuban legislation stipulates that trademarks must be granted within one year
(see Graphic 4).
Globally, the European Union and Spain
hold the record times, granting trademarks without opposition within 7.5
months, half of what it takes in China,
where the time frame is usually 15 months
(see Graphic 5).
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Trademarks
Table 1. Trademark Applications in Latin America (2010-2014)
COUNTRY
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Totals by country
2010 a 2014
Chile (*)
Percentage of increase or
decrease, 2013-2014
31,601
35,911
33,693
33,560
42,772
177,53727.4
7,871
8,632
9,381
8,122
9,919
43,92522.1
Mexico
87,470
92,671
98,628
107,063
118,745
504,57710.9
Guatemala
11,224
11,221
10,208
11,200
12,140
55,9938.4
Colombia
26,713
29,084
31,357
35,555
38,238
160,9477.5
Argentina
69,565
62,607
60,019
55,177
57,908
305,2764.9
Costa Rica (*)
11,264
12,218
11,912
11,019
11,257
57,6702.2
Peru (*)
23,120
24,711
25,295
25,258
25,258
123,6420.0
Paraguay
22,102
17,492
23,790
25,395
24,734
113,513-2.6
Panama
9,590
11,347
11,847
9,201
8,932
50,917-2.9
Uruguay (*)
5,690
6,312
5,992
6,027
5,834
29,855-3.2
Nicaragua (*)
4,037
5,237
4,615
4,900
4,745
23,534-3.2
Bolivia
5,991
7,229
7,550
8,222
7,928
36,920-3.6
129,620
152,123
150,107
163,587
156,898
752,335-4.1
Dominican Republic (*)
Brazil
El Salvador
11,253
S/D
8,581
8,775
8,099
36,708-7.7
Honduras
6,088
7,397
6,938
7,608
6,907
34,938-9.2
Ecuador
15,551
13,049
14,378
15,197
13,568
71,743-10.7
Venezuela
21,345
24,213
27,012
24,718
20,755
118,043-16.0
TOTALS
500,095
521,454
541,303
560,584
574,637
2,698,0732,5
Notes: * Countries that admit the Multiple Class Application System for Trademarks and Distinctive Signs (in Chile’s case goods and services cannot be included
in the same application); N/D: No statistical data available. The 2014 figure for Nicaragua is not official. Cuba was consulted but did not provide data.
Graphic 1. Growth of Trademark Applications in Latin America, (2010-2014)
574,637
560,584
541,303
521,454
14.9%
500,095
Year
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2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
The percentage of growth for
trademark applications in Latin
America from 2010 to 2014.
LATIN AMERICA 2 0 1 5
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Graphic 2. Annual Growth in Trademark Applications in Latin America (2010-2014)
2010
500,095
2011 2012 521,454
4.3 %
541,303
3.8 %
2013 2014
560,584
574,637
3.6 %
2.50 %
Table 2. Trademark Applications in Latin America Filed by National and Foreign Applicants in 2014
(%)
Foreign
(%)
Brazil127,810
81.5
29,088
18.5
Chile22,906
71.9
Mexico79,840
67.2
Country
National
8,963
38,905
28.1
32.8
Peru16,381 64.9
8,877
35.1
Paraguay15,354
62.1
9,380
37.9
Ecuador6,785
57.5
5,024
42.5
Colombia20,118
52.6
Costa Rica
51.9
5,415
48.1
Guatemala5,777
47.6
6,363
52.4
Uruguay3,774
37.8
6,203
62.2
Panama3,169
35.5
5,763
64.5
Bolivia2,430
30.7
5,498
69.3
Honduras1,956
28.3
4,951
71.7
TOTAL
5,842
18,120
47.4
312,14267.2152,550 32.8
Note: No data could be obtained for Argentina, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.
67,2%
The percentage of all trademark applicants
in Latin America in 2014
that were nationals.
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Graphic 3. Procedures that Can Be Carried Out Online to Apply for a Trademark in Latin America
Number of Online
Procedures Carried
Out in 2014
Brazil FILING THE POWER
OF ATTORNEY
FILING
THE APPLICATION
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina
Brazil, Chile, Ecuador,
Argentina, Dominican
Republic, Peru
Colombia, Mexico,
Guatemala, Uruguay,
146,693
FILING THE
PRIORITY CLAIM
Chile35,029
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina
ArgentinaN/D
Ecuador11,809
D. Republic
N/D
Peru364
ColombiaN/D
Mexico ONLINE
PROCEDURE
Brazil, Chile, Ecuador,
Argentina, Peru, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Uruguay
Costa Rica, Mexico y
Guatemala
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina
RESPONSE
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina
Guatemala5,963
PAYMENT OF OFFICIAL FEES
NOTICE OF
FINAL DECISION
151,63
Costa Rica
N/D
UruguayN/D
NOTICE OF
EXAMINATION
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina
Note: Honduras, Panama, Cuba, El Salvador, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela do not
allow any online procedures for trademark applications. N/D: No statistical data available.
Graphic 4. Average Times for Granting a Trademark
without Opposition in Latin America in 2014 (in months)
Dominican Republic 3
Costa Rica 3
Mexico
4.5
Chile 6.4
Honduras 5
European Union
7.5
Colombia 6.5
Spain
7.5
Latin America
9.2
United States
10.5
China
15
El Salvador8
Guatemala 6.5
Peru
Panamá 8
8
Ecuador 9
Uruguay 8
Nicaragua 12
Venezuela 12
Paraguay 12.5
Argentina 12
Cuba
Graphic 5. Average Times for Granting a Trademark
without Opposition around the World (in months)
16.5
Brazil
36
Average time
9.2
Months
Note: No data was available for Bolivia.
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LATIN AMERICA 2 0 1 5
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Patents
From 2013 to 2014, the number of patent applications filed in Latin America
dropped by -2.3% (see Table 3).
Brazil, Honduras, Argentina, Colombia,
Uruguay, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, and
Bolivia decreased by 2.4% to 62.7%.
A peculiar situation: In Venezuela, the
Autonomous Intellectual Property Service (SAPI) receives patent applications
and processes them up to the patentability examination stage, but then leaves
them pending. It has not granted a single
patent since 2007.
Although Panama had one of the lowest
demand levels last year (with only 287
patent applications), this Central American nation grew by 35.4% and came in
second among the countries that were
strengthened in 2014, behind Ecuador,
which almost doubled it with a 60.4%
increase.
Next on the list are Guatemala (18.4%),
Chile (7.3%), and Mexico (4.5%). Chile
and Mexico were also among the coun-
tries with the greatest number of patent
applications filed between 2010 and
2014, along with Brazil, Argentina, and
Colombia.
National and Foreign Applications
In 2014, 50,273 foreign applicants filed
patent applications in Latin America,
accounting for 83.5 percent of all applicants (see Table 5).
Of the 13 countries that provided data,
Brazil (with 25,787) and Honduras (with
227) were the countries that received the
most and the least applications, respectively, from foreign applicants.
According to the information provided,
Guatemala was the only country with no
patent applications filed by nationals in
2014.
Online Procedures
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay
are the only countries that provide the
possibility of filing patent applications
online, through their offices’ websites.
Others, such as Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico offer some
procedures online, including payment of
official fees (all except Chile), filing the
application, and furnishing other documents (see Graphic 7).
There are some countries, like Peru,
that only admit querying, performing
decision searches, and scheduling
appointments to consult records.
Granting Patents
The average time it takes for a patent to
be granted in Latin America is 4.3 years
(see Graphic 8). The fastest countries are
Nicaragua (1.6) and Colombia (1.8), almost nine years less than Uruguay (10)
and Brazil (10.4).
Among the countries researched the
United States si the countries that takes
the least time to grant a patent (2.5
years), followed by China (3.5). The European Union and Spain come in after
Latin America, with a waiting time of 4.5
years (see Graphic 9).
Table 3. Patent Applications in Latin America (2010-2014)
COUNTRY
2010
2011
2012
Ecuador
884
408
506
Panama
586
403
378
Chile
Guatemala
1,653 3,381
442 409
437
701
2,936
60.4
212
287
1,866
35.4
426
3,64314,772
4572,163
Mexico
18,726 18,785 15,314 15,444 16,13584,404
Brazil
28,052 31,924
Honduras
360 306
33,395 33,989
293
Percentage of Increase or
Decrease 2013-2014
2014
3,019 3,076
429
Totals by Country
2010-2014
2013
255
33,182160,542
2451,459
18.4
7.3
4.5
-2.4
-3.9
Argentina
4,935 4,959
4,994 4,960
4,67324,521
-5.8
Colombia
2,507 2,626
2,687 2,684
2,35712,861
-12.2
Uruguay
940 837
903
916
7954,391
-13.2
Costa Rica 616
706
668
695
597
3,282
-14.1
Dominican Republic 405
405
328
315
259
1,712
-17.8
Venezuela
2,120 1,804 2,061 2,009 1,6029,596
594 638
Peru 295
Bolivia
413 440
Nicaragua
237 226 196 144 N/D803
N/D
El Salvador
337
319
268
238
N/D
1,162
N/D
64,102
69,744
68,215
68,763
66,820
337,644
-2.3
TOTALS
1,168
589
1,734
656
1,905
453
402
4502,927
-20.3
Paraguay
1,287
6,389
1501,858
-31.4
-32.4
-62.7
Note: N/D: No statistical data available. Cuba was consulted but did not provide data.
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Table 4. Patent Applications in Latin America Filed in 2014 under
the International Patent System (PCT)
Country2014
Brazil22,695
Mexico12,409
Chile2,474
Colombia1,829
Ecuador681
Costa Rica
Guatemala279
Graphic 6. Patent Applications in Latin America (2010-2014)
69.744
68.763
68.215
506
Dominican Republic
66.820
254
Panama247
Honduras227
64.102
Year
2010
Totals41,601
2011
2012
2013 2014
Note: Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua,
Uruguay, and Venezuela are not part of the International Patent System (PCT).
Table 5. Patent Applications in Latin America Filed by National and Foreign Applicants (2010-2014)
Country
Foreign
%
National
%
Guatemala
279
100.0
0
0.0
Ecuador 681
98.610 1.4
Dominican Republic
98.1
254
5
1.9
Paraguay 440
97.810 2.2
Panama 274
95.513 4.5
Costa Rica
95.1
Peru
568
29
4.9
1,204
93.683 6.4
Honduras 227
92.718 7.3
Mexico
92.31,244
14,891
7.7
Uruguay 714
89.8 8110.2
Chile
3,033
83.3610 16.7
Colombia 1,921
81.5436 18.5
Brazil
25,787
77.77,395 22.3
Total
50,273
83.59,934 16.5
Note: No data could be obtained for Argentina, Cuba, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Venezuela.
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LATIN AMERICA 2 0 1 5
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Graphic 7. Procedures that Can Be Conducted Online to Apply for a Patent in Latin America
FILING OF OTHER
DOCUMENTS
Chile, Ecuador, Brazil,
Colombia, Uruguay
FILING OF
APPLICATION
PAYMENT OF
OFFICIAL FEES
Brazil, Ecuador,
Dominican Republic,
Colombia, Mexico,
Uruguay, Costa Rica
Brazil, Chile, Ecuador,
Dominican Republic,
Colombia, Uruguay.
Graphic 9. Average Times for the Granting
of Patents Around the World (years)
2.5
United States
Spain
ONLINE
PROCEDURE
China
2.5
3.5
Latin America
RESPONSE
TO NOTICE
4.3
European Union 4.5
Brazil, Ecuador,
Colombia, Uruguay
NOTICE OF REPORT
Brazil, Ecuador,
Colombia, Uruguay
RESPONSE TO
REPORT
Brazil, Ecuador,
Colombia, Uruguay
Note: In Spain a patent can be granted in just 12
months if the application is filed under an express
procedure.
Note: Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela do not
allow any procedures through the websites of their patent and trademark offices.
Graphic 8. Average Times for the Granting of Patents
in Latin America
Nicaragua 1.6
Colombia 1.8
Guatemala 2.5
Ecuador 3
Panama 3
Mexico 3
3
Bolivia
Honduras 3
3
Peru
Argentina 4
Chile 4.4
Costa Rica 4.5
Dominican Republic 4.5
Paraguay 7.5
Brazil
10.4
Uruguay 10
Average time
4.3
Years
Sources Consulted
Argentina: Claudia Serritelli and Paula Galván (Estudio Chaloupka).
Bolivia: Wolfgang L. Ohnes (Orpan).
Brazil: Bruno Rohde (National Industrial Property Institute).
Chile: National Institute of Industrial Property / Marcos Morales (Alessandri Abogados)
China: Gordiano Casas (Unitalen Attorneys at Law).
Colombia: Luis Antonio Silva Rubio (Superintendency of Industry and Commerce).
Costa Rica: Silvia Monge Quesada (National Registry of the Republic of Costa Rica).
Cuba: Yordanka Ramírez Pastor (Claim).
Dominican Republic: Ana Paula Campusano and Sharin Pablo (J. J. Roca & Asociados).
Ecuador: Adriana Hidalgo (Ecuadorian Intellectual Property Institute) / Esteban Riofrío (Barzallo &
Barzallo Abogados).
El Salvador: Edy Guadalupe Portal and Annette Herrera (Portal & Asociados) / Marcela Mancía (Romero
Pineda & Asociados).
Guatemala: Marina Girons (Intellectual Property Registry).
Honduras: Marvin Yovanni Silva Andino (General Intellectual Property Office).
Mexico: Mexican Institute of Industrial Property
Nicaragua: Mayra Navarrete Crovetto (García Bodán) and Julián J. Bendaña Aragón (Guy José Bendaña Guerrero & Asociados).
Panama: Leonardo Uribe (General Industrial Property Registry Office).
Paraguay: Lorena Mersan (Mersan Abogados).
Peru: Virginia Delion (Estudio Delion)
Spain: Carlos González (Abril Abogados)
United States: Yadira Rosario Rivera and Yolisamar Vásquez Delgado (Ferraiuoli LLC).
Uruguay: Nation Industrial Property Office
Venezuela: Adolfo López Moreno (Ayala & López Abogados).
Note: No data could be obtained for El Salvador and
Cuba. In Venezuela there is an indefinite waiting time.
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