Provides advice on IPR protection, including information on the registration of patents and trademarks.

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, please link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources.

It is critical for companies to ensure that their brands remain protected around the world and protected from trademark infringements. It is recommended to use a lawyer with expertise and knowledge of local laws and skills to conduct in-country investigations.

In Guatemala, Intellectual Property Laws confer discretionary powers and faculties to the Customs authorities to conduct investigations and retain merchandise suspected of being counterfeit. Customs is the first line of defense as it has the authority to confiscate the counterfeited goods. Unfortunately, under Guatemalan laws, customs agents are responsible for the seizure and can only retain the merchandise for 48 hours, sometimes this is not sufficient time for the brand owners to be notified and begin legal action.

The Attorney General's office and the Customs Bureau are legally empowered to initiate investigations on intellectual property matters.
However, the IPR prosecution office is small and operates with few resources.  The office relies on assistance from the private sector and foreign Governments.

CAFTA-DR liberalizes bilateral trade between the United States and the region and promotes regional integration. It also requires the Central American countries to undertake needed reforms to alleviate systemic problems such as protection of intellectual property rights, customs administration services, investment, financial services, market access, and government procurement, as well as sanitary and phytosanitary and other non-tariff barriers.

In Guatemala the entity in charge of intellectual property is the Mercantile Registry and with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), launched the national strategy of intellectual property (ENPI), in mid-2015. Its main objective is to promote the use of intellectual property as a tool for economic and social development, by encouraging creativity and innovation.

Guatemala has strengthened prosecution of crimes against the intellectual property of the Public Ministry. To this end, projects have been implemented with national and international organizations that provide additional knowledge and assistance. It has also carried out exchange of experiences at an institutional level with the judiciary and the Superintendence of tax administration.

It is important to mention that Guatemalan legislation on this matter is modern and in accordance to the multilateral agreements on intellectual property such as:

  • TRIPS (Trade related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights),

  • Paris Convention

  • Berne Convention

  • Rome Convention

Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.