Latin America - Our new cost tool now online!

Nicolás Gutiérrez

IP Expert – Latin America IPR SME Helpdesk

As promised in our end of year post published last December, the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk has now issued its very own online Cost Tool! With this new tool you will be able to have an overview of costs involved with the registration of your IP in Latin American countries.

Several studies have shown that general lack of awareness and the difficulty to access information on how, why and when to register and protect their intellectual property can act as important disincentives to EU SMEs. Furthermore, even when found the information can be full of legal jargon and consequently difficult to understand. As a consequence to this, the European Commission has found that the majority of EU SMEs do not make use of the IP protection frameworks as much as they could and should, and are thereby missing on an extremely valuable tool for growth and development of their activities.

With this in mind, and knowing that finding information on IP protection in Latin America can prove tricky at best sometimes, we have already published our IP Diagnostic Tool Kit helping you analyse your business’ preparedness in the field of IP when internationalising to Latin America. 

We have designed this new tool to help you assess the costs involved in ensuring your IP is protected when moving to Latin America. The costs are expressed in Euros where possible so as to ensure the information is as understandable as possible from the standpoint of an EU SME needing a quick estimate of costs incurred when dealing with the national IP offices of the countries you are thinking to move to!

Like all other services we provide, the tool will be freely accessible with minimal input required from the user and provide a real-time response. Based on the options selected you will be able to find information regarding the following fees for the registration of trade marks, patents, industrial designs, utility models and copyright:

• Application Fees
• Examination Fees
• Renewal Fees
• Surcharges / exceptions
• Annuity Fees

Additionally, the result page also includes links to the relevant National IP Offices’ website. Finally, material published by the Helpdesk which we believe relevant is also added for those wishing further information on the procedures for the protection of their IP rights in the countries of their choice.

The additional of this new tool in our range of services we offer constitutes another upgrade in the services we at the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk offer to SMEs interested in doing business in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. All these countries are covered by this new tool.

Author:

Nicolás Gutiérrez

IP Expert – Latin America IPR SME Helpdesk