Ecuador: encouraging IP registration by local applicants

Ecuador's Intellectual Property Institute has reduced the fees for some of its services. According to Resolution 001-2016-CD-IEPI fees to file and maintain a patent have decreased by approx. 90%. The said resolution reforms the previous ones i.e. No. 003- 2010 CDIEPI (06/05/2010) and No. 006-2012 CDIEPI (23/05/2012).

There was no doubt that the Ecuadorian Institute of intellectual Property (IEPI) fees were costly. Some saw this “as a tax on foreign IP owners rather than as a means of stimulating and encouraging the use of IP registration by local applicants.” Therefore one can question if this is a step forward in the building of the proposed ‘Código Orgánico de Economía Social del Conocimiento, la Creatividad y la Innovación (Organic Code of Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation) -- known as ‘Codigo Ingenios’ (Intellects Code). This bill went to the Ecuadorian Assembly back in June 2015 as an initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Senescyt).

The reduction is seen on: patent application fee (until 10 claims); additional claim after the 10th; the renewal fees per year; and the examination fee up to 20 pages (and then, a 10% additional fee per sheet).

The graphic that you see, the original is available at the Latin America IPR SME Helpdesk, an IP fact-sheet of the country – next to the graphic (in red) the new fee is reflected.

Resolution 001-2016-CD-IEPI entered into force following its publication in the official registry(which was Friday 19 August, 2016 - N° 822).