OMC Abogados & Consultores: Intellectual Property Updates in Latin America

As specialists in Intellectual Property in Latin America, OMC Abogados & Consultores reports that during the first months of the year, several changes have been implemented to streamline procedures and reduce processing times for patents and trademarks across the region.

Mexico and Argentina Announce Process Changes for Patent Registration

The modifications announced by the respective authorities aim to accelerate the substantive examination phase for patent applications, which in Mexico also includes Utility Models.

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) has reduced the number of official actions from four to two for the substantive examination of patent and utility model applications. Furthermore, virtual meetings between applicants and examiners are now authorized during any stage of the substantive examination, allowing IMPI representatives to propose a technical meeting after the first official action.

Meanwhile, the Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (INPI) of Argentina, through Resolution INPI N° 142/2026, has established the following requirements to expedite the process:

• An equivalent patent must already be granted abroad.
• The patentability criteria applied by the office of origin must align with Argentine legislation.
• The scope of the claims in the Argentine application must be equal to or more limited than those granted abroad.
• National claims must be submitted with a proper translation.
• No national prior art must exist that affects the patentability of the application.
• The request must be filed before the application is either granted or denied in Argentina.
• Payment of the corresponding service fee must be completed.

Amendments to Trademark Registration in Argentina

Through Resolution INPI P-583/25the Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial de Argentina announced that substantive and formal examinations will now be conducted jointly at the start of the trademark registration process. Under this framework, reviews will focus exclusively on absolute prohibitions related to public order, lack of distinctiveness, prior identical trademarks, or signs contrary to morality and good customs.

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