Intellectual property
Trademark, patent, copyright and industrial design registration, with trademark watch.
We protect your ideas and creations from the clearance search to the registration certificate. Then we watch your mark so nobody registers or uses something similar without you knowing.
A registered trademark gives you the exclusive right to use it in Costa Rica for 10 years, renewable. Without registration, someone else can file it first and force you to change your name, packaging or domain.
Monserrat Alfaro has spent over 20 years in intellectual property. We handle trademarks, trade names, patents, industrial designs and copyright before the Intellectual Property Registry, and the same filings in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
What it includes
- Trademark and trade name registration
- Invention patents and utility models
- Copyright
- Industrial designs
- Trademark watch and renewals
- Oppositions and trademark defense
Where we handle it
Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua.
How we work
- SearchWe check your mark is available before you invest in it.
- FilingWe file the application with the Intellectual Property Registry, in the classes your business needs.
- ExaminationThe Registry reviews form and substance; we answer any objection.
- PublicationThe application is published in La Gaceta so third parties can see it.
- OppositionFor two months anyone may oppose it. If that happens, we defend you.
- RegistrationYour mark is registered and you receive the certificate. We remind you before it expires.
You may also need
- Sanitary and regulatory registrationIf your brand is on a food, cosmetic or regulated product, it also needs sanitary registration to go on sale.
- Corporate lawIs the trademark owned by the right company? We sort out ownership and licensing or distribution contracts.
- Consumer lawYour labels, warranties and terms of sale must also meet consumer law.
Common questions
What happens if I use my brand without registering it?
You can use it, but you have no exclusive right. If someone registers it first, they can ask you to stop. Registering early costs far less than rebranding later.
What is a class, and how many do I need?
Goods and services are grouped into 45 international classes, and a mark is protected only in the classes where it is registered. In the first consultation we tell you which ones cover your business today and where it may grow.
Can I register the logo and the name together?
Yes. You can register the name alone, the design alone, or both together. We explain what each option protects and which one fits your case.
How long does a patent last?
An invention patent protects for up to 20 years from filing and cannot be renewed. Before filing we check whether the invention is new and whether patenting beats keeping it as a trade secret.
Tell us about your case.
We reply as soon as we can. Your information is confidential and only used to answer your request.
- Address
- Barrio Dent, Avenida 15, Calle 39. San José, Costa Rica.
Open in Google Maps - Phone
- +506 4001-8651