How to register your business's trademark in Uruguay
Your business name is an asset: registering it as a trademark gives you the exclusive right to use it. What it is, how to register it and how long it lasts — with official sources.
You named your venture, designed a logo, started making it known… and one day someone registers it before you do. Registering your trademark is cheap insurance against that. Here's why it pays and how it's done.
Why register your trademark
Registering isn't a decorative formality: it gives you rights. Per the official procedure:
Per the official procedure:
«Es el registro que confiere la titularidad y el derecho al uso exclusivo de la marca.»
In English: It is the registration that confers ownership and the exclusive right to use the mark.
gub.uy procedures — Trademark registrationhttps://www.gub.uy/tramites/registro-marcasWhat a trademark is
A trademark is any sign able to distinguish your products or services from identical ones: your trade name, your logo, or both. It's what your customers associate with you — and what you want to protect.
How it's done
Registration is processed before the National Directorate of Industrial Property (DNPI) of the MIEM, online, through the Online Filing System. You complete the application, pay the corresponding fee and wait for the process. Beforehand, it's worth requesting a (free) phonetic background search to see if your mark is already taken:
MIEM — Trademarks, patents and software registrationhttps://www.gub.uy/ministerio-industria-energia-mineria/marcas-patentesHow long it lasts
A trademark registration is valid for 10 years, and can be renewed indefinitely for equal periods. So, as long as you renew it, the mark is yours forever.
A tip
Do the background search before investing in signage, website and packaging: if your name clashes with one already registered, better to find out early. And register as soon as you can — in trademarks, it's first to file that counts, not first to use.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do I get? | Ownership and exclusive use of the mark |
| Where? | DNPI (MIEM), online |
| Before? | Background search (free) |
| How long? | 10 years, renewable indefinitely |
In short: registering your trademark gives you the exclusive right to use it, is done online before the DNPI, and lasts 10 renewable years. Do the prior search and register early. Verify fees and steps with the MIEM.