How are trademarks, patents and copyright protected in Guatemala?

The Industrial Property Law is Congress Decree 57-2000: its purpose covers the acquisition, maintenance and protection of distinctive signs, invention patents, utility models and industrial designs,… together with the protection of trade secrets and action against unfair competition. The Copyright and Related Rights Law is Decree 33-98. The registry authority is the Intellectual Property Registry (RPI), which according to its portal administers and protects rights over trademarks, copyright, patents, utility models and industrial designs, and presents a Department of Trademarks and Distinctive Signs, a Department of Copyright and a Department of Patents and Industrial Designs. In a note published in March 2024, MINECO says it acts 'por medio del Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual' (through the Intellectual Property Registry). Two documents prepared by the RPI itself for regional meetings organised by WIPO, dated 11 March 2004 and May 19, 2006, then described the Registry as a dependency of the Ministry of Economy. The 2006 document gave the status of grant procedures as 6 to 7 months for trademarks and 3 to 5 years for patents.