El Salvador accedes to three WIPO treaties and ratifies the Riyadh Design Law Treaty

Following their approval by the Legislative Assembly in June 2026, El Salvador deposited four instruments with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 7 July 2026. The country acceded to the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trade marks and the Patent Law Treaty, and ratified the Hague Agreement (Geneva Act) and the Riyadh Design Law Treaty. The first three treaties will enter into force for El Salvador on 7 October 2026. 

Trade mark procedures under the Singapore Treaty 

The Singapore Treaty establishes common rules for administrative procedures relating to national and regional trade mark applications, registrations, and licences. These include communications with applicants, representation, standardised requirements, and remedies for missing certain procedural deadlines. Moreover, the Treaty provides a procedural framework for the registration of non-traditional signs, including three-dimensional, colour, hologram, movement, sound and olfactory marks, where permitted by national law. 

Patent formalities under the Patent Law Treaty 

The Patent Law Treaty harmonises the formal procedures for national and regional patent applications. It covers filing-date requirements, standardised forms, communications with patent offices, and mechanisms for correcting certain formal deficiencies or missed deadlines. However, the PLT only concerns procedural requirements and does not harmonise the substantive criteria used to determine whether an invention is patentable. 

International design protection under the Hague System 

From 7 October 2026, eligible applicants will be able to include El Salvador in a single international design application submitted via the Hague System. Salvadoran designers and businesses will also be able to use the system to seek protection in other participating jurisdictions. The system centralises the filing and management of international design registrations, including renewals and changes in ownership. Protection in each designated country will remain subject to examination under its national law. 

By joining the Geneva Act, El Salvador becomes the 77th Contracting Party and the 83rd member of the Hague Union, extending the Hague System’s coverage to 100 countries. 

Ratification of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty 

El Salvador has also ratified the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, which harmonises the formal procedures for national and regional industrial design applications. The Treaty's provisions cover matters such as multiple-design applications, deferred publication, missed deadlines, and a 12-month grace period following certain public disclosures. However, the Treaty has not yet entered into force internationally. It will take effect three months after 15 eligible parties have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession.