Companies and business · Quirós & Quirós
Trademark registration and protection in Panama
We help you define the sign to protect and prepare your trademark application, with the information and follow-up your business needs.
On this page
Getting started
Key points
- Trademarks, company names and internet domains are separate registrations.
- The activity determines which goods or services must be identified.
- A prior search helps identify obstacles.
- The authority examines the application.
Protect the sign identifying your business
A trademark distinguishes goods or services in the market. A company name or domain is not trademark protection. Preparation identifies the owner, sign, use and activities for which protection is sought.
Name, logo and classes
Specify whether protection concerns a name, graphic element or combination. Goods and services are described and classified accordingly. Registration in one class does not protect every activity; scope is defined during preparation.
Search and preparation
A search identifies similar signs and matters requiring analysis. It neither replaces official examination nor guarantees registration. Results help assess changes to the sign or application before further branding and launch commitments.
Application, observations and decision
The service can include preparation, filing and follow-up with DIGERPI. Observations or opposition are reviewed and the required response agreed. The proposal distinguishes ordinary processing from disputes requiring extra work.
After registration
A trademark registration lasts ten years from the application filing date and may be renewed for equal periods (Law 35 of 1996, art. 109). Renewal may be requested during the year before expiry or within the following six months, with a statutory surcharge during that later period (art. 110). Do not count the ten years from the grant date.
Keep the certificate and track its expiry. Licenses, assignments, changes and suspected misuse by third parties require their own review and supporting documents.
Official sources (in Spanish): Law 35 of 1996, amended by Law 61 of 2012 · arts. 109 and 110.
How we proceed
Your matter, step by step
- Define what to protect
Identify the owner, name or design and goods or services. Keep trademark files and use records.
- Review prior rights and classes
Searches identify existing signs; classes and the application are defined according to the protection sought.
- File and follow up
Organize the power of attorney, declarations and receipts; address observations and required publications through the decision.
Preparing for your consultation
- Name and logo for review.
- Description of goods or services.
- Details of the proposed individual or corporate owner.
- Examples of labels, publications or commercial use.
- Earlier applications, registrations or notices, if any.
Fees, expenses and timing
Distinguish fees, official charges, additional classes and work responding to opposition or observations.
Timing depends on examination, observations and opposition. Filing does not mean registration is granted.
How we explain your legal fees →Answers for this consultation
I already have a business name and logo. How do I start protecting them?
Gather the name and design you use or intend to use, describe the products and services and identify the intended owner. Include labels, publications and any previous applications. The firm organises a search and review of the elements to be protected before defining the application and follow-up.
Can I apply for a trademark before using it?
DIGERPI’s published requirements cover both trademarks already in use and those intended for future use. The application must accurately reflect that situation and identify the products or services. Define the sign and its owner before filing, as intended use does not remove the other registration requirements.
What information must I establish about the trademark owner?
Identify who will apply and provide their address and nationality. For a company, DIGERPI also requests information about incorporation and registration as applicable. Decide ownership before filing and distinguish the owner from the person designing the logo or managing the business’s social media.
More questions about this service:
- I already have a business name and logo. How do I start protecting them?
- Can I apply for a trademark before using it?
- What information must I establish about the trademark owner?
- Does incorporating a company also protect its trademark?
- Do I need to know the class before applying for a trademark?
- Does a favourable search guarantee registration?
- Can I have the name reviewed before designing the logo?
- Do you review objections or notices concerning my trademark?
Working with our firm
A clearly defined engagement
- Preparation of owner information and requested coverage.
- Filing and follow-up of the agreed application.
- Handling observations or disputes included in the engagement.
Our proposal sets out which of these services you need and the terms of our engagement.