National Patent and Trademark Office reduces official fees by up to 90%

Following a programme of 'democratisation of industrial property', the National Patent and Trademark Office, by a resolution which entered into force on January 1 2013, has issued a new table of reduced official fees.

Colombian artisans will benefit the most, with a 90% reduction in trademark application fees. Micro and small Colombian companies will benefit from a 40% reduction in official fees for the registration of product and service marks.

The decision to reduce official fees follows studies carried out by the National Patent and Trademark Office, which determined that Colombia was among the four most expensive countries among a group of 50 countries, including European, Latin-American, Asiatic and Middle Eastern countries.

Foreign applicants will also benefit from the reduction in official fees, mainly with regard to the filing of additional classes within a multiclass application, which will be 50% cheaper than the regular trademark application fee. The official fee for the renewal of trademark registrations has also been reduced by half compared to last year’s tariff, making the maintenance of trademarks a less expensive exercise.

With this programme of discounted fees, the National Patent and Trademark Office seeks to render the system accessible to all, as well to promote innovation and competitiveness among Colombian entrepreneurs.

Margarita Castellanos, Castellanos & Co, Bogota