Registering the name of your business or brand in Ecuador is a necessary evil you must do as one of the first steps when starting a business in Ecuador. Follow insidemma for business updates.
As in most developing countries, intellectual property is not as well respected as it should be, so registering your name quickly before someone else copies it is a must.
Luckily, the process brand creation is straightforward in Ecuador. Anyone can do it, even foreigners who are not residents of the country.
You need to go to the governmental institution called the “IEPI”, with offices in Quito and the major cities of Ecuador.
Once there, you will be asked to fill out a form for them to do a domain search to see if your name is available. This service costs $16, nonrefundable.
Then, if available, you can register your name for a one time fee of $116. The brand or name is now yours, protected. If someone infringes it you can sue and win, but in most cases threatening is sufficient to demotivate the infractor.
Get weekly updates on all the latest insider investor and expat happenings by joining the Ecuador Newcomers Club now below (you can unsubscribe at any time):