Trademark registration in Panama

The trademark office and official links

Trademarks in Panama are registered by the Dirección General del Registro de la Propiedad Industrial (Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry), Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) (DIGERPI).

• Trademark office: Dirección General del Registro de la Propiedad Industrial (Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry), Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) (DIGERPI)
• Trademark search: official trademark database
• Law: Law No. 35 of 10 May 1996 on Industrial Property, as amended by Law No. 61 of 5 October 2012
• Law: Executive Decree No. 7 of 17 February 1998 implementing Law No. 35 of 1996

Official fees in Panama

The office does not publish an up-to-date fee schedule we could verify. Ask firms that cover Panama for a quote that shows official and professional fees separately — post a request or compare packages.

How to register a trademark in Panama

1. Check availability of the mark in DIGERPI's trademark records before filing.
2. Identify the Nice class or classes and clearly list the goods or services to be protected.
3. Complete the DIGERPI application form with details of the mark, the owner and the goods or services.
4. Pay the official fees (for example at Banco Nacional or through online banking) and attach the payment receipt.
5. DIGERPI carries out a formal and substantive examination and, if the application complies, publishes it in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin.
6. Third parties have two months from publication to oppose; oppositions are argued before the commercial courts.
7. If there is no opposition, or it is resolved in the applicant's favour, DIGERPI registers the mark and issues a registration certificate.

Examination, publication and opposition

• Examination: DIGERPI examines applications for form and substance before publication. No official examination period is stated.
• Publication: Boletín Oficial de Propiedad Industrial (Official Industrial Property Bulletin).
• Opposition period: 2 months from publication in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin; oppositions are heard by the commercial courts rather than by DIGERPI.

Protection, renewal and use

• Term: 10 years, renewable.
• Use requirement: a registration can be challenged after 5 years of non-use.

Filing from abroad

• Language: Spanish

Firms on TrademarksHub that cover Panama can act as your local agent — see firms.

Madrid Protocol

Panama is not a member of the Madrid System, so an international registration cannot cover it. You need a national filing, usually through a local agent.

Trademark classes

Nice Classification; marks are registered by class.. One application can cover several classes. Not sure which classes you need? See all 45 classes or classes by business type.

How Panama compares

• Opposition: 2 months from publication in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin; oppositions are heard by the commercial courts rather than by DIGERPI. — compare all countries
• Renewal: every 10 years — compare all countries
• Official search: consulta.digerpi.gob.pa — all search databases

Guides: registering in any country · costs by country · Madrid

Good to know in Panama

• Trademark oppositions in Panama are decided by the commercial courts, not by the registry.
• Use must take place in Panama: since Law 61 of 2012, use means placing goods on the national market or providing services in Panama, and a registration can be cancelled after five consecutive years of non-use.
• The official MICI guidance lists a separate fee for each additional class, and renewal is charged per class.
• Official fees can be paid at Banco Nacional de Panamá or through online banking, and filing is available in person or virtually.
• Panama is not a member of the Madrid Protocol, so marks must be filed directly with DIGERPI.

Questions