1 June 2012Jurisdiction reportsSharin Pablo de Roca and Deborah Guzmán

Registration and renewal process for trade names

Trade names have acquired a new significance in the Dominican Republic, as the government has been implementing a series of legal reforms with the aim of creating a climate of certainty, stability and efficiency for companies investing and operating their businesses in the country.

With this goal in mind, Decree No. 326-06 was issued in order to accelerate the process of obtaining the registration of trade names before the National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI).

The registration and renewal process for trade names in the Dominican Republic are regulated by (i) the Industrial Property Law 20-00, (ii) the Implementation Regulation of the Industrial Property Law 20-00 and (iii) Decree No. 326-06 of August 8, 2006.

Registration of a trade name

Industrial Property Law 20-00 (IPL) expressly states that the right to the exclusive use of a trade name is acquired by virtue of its first use in business, and the registration is merely declaratory. However, the registration of the same is mandatory when incorporating a company in the Dominican Republic.

Prior to Decree No. 326-06 the registration process for trade names was regulated by the same dispositions as are established in IPL for the registration of trademarks. Consequently, it took ONAPI approximately three to four months to issue the certificates of registration for trade names, counting from the filing date, if no actions were filed against the application by third parties, and if ONAPI did not object to the application.

This was considered too long, given that this is the first step in the incorporation of a Dominican company. In an effort to attract foreign investment, the Dominican state undertook a series of reforms that included Decree No. 326-06.

After the issuance of the decree, the procedure for obtaining a trade name registration in the Dominican Republic became easier, allowing the holder of the trade name to obtain the certificate of registration in a period no longer than five days, counting from the filing date of the application.

“IN ADDITION TO EXPEDITING THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR TRADE NAMES, THE DECREE HAS ELIMINATED THE POSSIBILITY FOR THIRD PARTIES TO FILE OPPOSITION ACTIONS AGAINST TRADE NAME APPLICATIONS.”

As per the procedure established by the decree, upon receipt of the application for registration of a trade name, label or emblem, the ONAPI shall issue the corresponding certificate of registration within a period not exceeding five days from said filing. The application must contain the name and address of the applicant and, if the applicant is a company, the place of incorporation and the activities of the company that will be protected under said trade name.

The ONAPI may object to the registration if it constitutes a violation of the IPL. If objected, a notification is sent to the applicant within five days of the filing of the application, in order for the applicant to respond to the objection within 60 days after notification.

In addition to expediting the registration process for trade names, the decree has eliminated the possibility for third parties to file opposition actions against trade name applications. Contrary to the process followed for trademarks, the certificates of registration for trade names are granted before the information is published externally.

Since publication is issued after the certificate of registration has been granted, the only action possible for third parties to oppose a registration is the presentation of a nullity action or a revocation of the right to claim the title action.

Renewal procedure

The duration and subsequent renewal of a trade name registration is 10 years. The IPL grants a grace period of six months from the expiration date of the registration for the filing of the renewal application, in which case an established surcharge must be paid in addition to the corresponding renewal fee. The registration of the trade name remains in full force during the grace period.

As per the IPL, the renewal application for trade names must be accompanied by a declaration of use of the trade name, as well as evidence of its use in the country. For trademarks, the renewal process has been simplified with the application of the Trademark Law Treaty. However, the same is not true of the renewal process for trade names, and ONAPI continues to request that the aforementioned documents accompany the application for the renewal of trade names.

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