Your U.S. Counterpart for Argentine Clients
Su contraparte en Estados Unidos para sus clientes argentinos.
Argentina is not a Madrid Protocol member, and INPI Argentina is one of the busiest trademark offices in Latin America. We file direct U.S. applications for clients of Argentine firms, report in Spanish, and bill in U.S. dollars.
Trademark activity in Argentina and at the USPTO
INPI Argentina recorded 98,518 trademark class counts in 2024, up 53% from 2019. Argentine owners filed 1,631 U.S. applications from 2021 to 2025, all of them directly.
Trademark filings at INPI Argentina
Class count in applications filed at INPI Argentina, all direct filings, by applicant residence.
View data table
| Year | Total | Resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 64,385 | 49,081 | 15,304 |
| 2020 | 78,500 | 64,413 | 14,087 |
| 2021 | 85,844 | 70,131 | 15,713 |
| 2022 | 88,838 | 73,082 | 15,756 |
| 2023 | 83,891 | 70,080 | 13,811 |
| 2024 | 98,518 | 83,918 | 14,600 |
U.S. applications filed by Argentine owners
USPTO applications per filing year from owners with an address in Argentina. The 2026 bar covers January through September.
View data table
| Filing year | Filed | Registered to date | Via Madrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 296 | 160 | 0 |
| 2022 | 295 | 156 | 0 |
| 2023 | 407 | 146 | 0 |
| 2024 | 337 | 130 | 0 |
| 2025 | 296 | 117 | 0 |
| 2026 (Jan.–Sept.) | 181 | 12 | 0 |
How Argentine applicants file in the U.S.
Filing basis claimed in U.S. applications from Argentina, 2021 to 2025. An application can claim more than one basis.
View data table
| Basis | Applications |
|---|---|
| Intent to use · § 1(b) | 1,018 |
| Use in U.S. commerce · § 1(a) | 319 |
| Home registration · § 44(e) | 238 |
| Priority claim · § 44(d) | 141 |
No Madrid route
Argentina is not a member of the Madrid Protocol, so WIPO records no international applications from INPI Argentina and no designations of Argentina. Every U.S. filing for a Argentine client is a direct USPTO application, and every filing by a U.S. owner in Argentina goes through local counsel.
Argentine applicants relied on the home filing, through Section 44(d) priority or a Section 44(e) registration, in 379 claims from 2021 to 2025.
How we counted. National-office figures are class counts (applications multiplied by the classes they name) from the WIPO IP Statistics Data Center, May 2026 update, covering direct and Madrid filings. Madrid figures are WIPO counts by date of receipt at the International Bureau through 2025. USPTO figures count applications by filing date where an owner's address is in Argentina, from USPTO records retrieved October 27, 2026.
The U.S.-attorney rule for Argentine clients
Since August 3, 2019, applicants and registrants domiciled in Argentina must be represented before the USPTO by an attorney licensed in a U.S. state. Argentina is outside the Madrid system, so every U.S. filing is a direct application.
A U.S. application can claim priority to the INPI Argentina application if filed within six months (Section 44(d)), or rely on the Argentine registration (Section 44(e)). U.S. use is still required to maintain the registration.
What this means for your firm
- You keep the client relationship and the strategy
- We are attorney of record and correspondence address at the USPTO
- Every USPTO notice comes to you with our recommendation
- We send U.S.-originated work in Argentina back to you
What we handle for your Argentine clients
The full U.S. life of a mark, from the first filing to enforcement, under your instructions.
Direct U.S. filings
Use, intent-to-use, Section 44(e) home-registration, and Section 44(d) priority applications.
Madrid refusals
Responses to USPTO provisional refusals of designations of the United States.
Office actions
Arguments and amendments on likelihood of confusion, descriptiveness, specimens, and identification.
TTAB matters
Oppositions, cancellations, ex parte appeals, letters of protest, and expungement or reexamination petitions.
Maintenance
Section 8 and Section 71 declarations, Section 15 affidavits, Section 9 renewals, and docketing every U.S. deadline.
Recordals
Assignments, mergers, and name changes recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch.
Enforcement
Cease-and-desist letters, U.S. Customs recordation, Amazon Brand Registry, and coordination with litigation counsel.
Built for the instructing firm
- Conflict checkWe clear conflicts before any substantive work, usually within one business day.
- Associate agreementA short written agreement sets reporting, billing, and client-contact rules.
- InstructionsBy email, in Spanish or English. We confirm receipt and the deadline the same day.
- ReportingWe report to your firm, not to your client, unless you ask us to copy the client.
- FeesFixed fees for standard actions, invoiced in U.S. dollars with wire instructions; government fees at cost.
Where U.S. filings from Argentina go wrong
The issues we see most often in U.S. matters sent by Argentine firms, and how we deal with each.
Waiting for the INPI registration
INPI Argentina examination can take a long time. Clients who wait for the Argentine registration before filing in the U.S. lose the priority window and give others time to file first.
We file with a Section 44(d) priority claim, or on an intent-to-use basis, without waiting.
Wine varietals and regions
Malbec, Torrontés, Mendoza, and Patagonia are not distinctive for wine. U.S. applications built on them are refused or need disclaimers.
We lead with the winery's own name and treat varietal and region as descriptive.
Importer-owned filings
U.S. wine and food importers sometimes file the brand in their own names, leaving the Argentine producer exposed when the importer changes.
We file in the producer's name and recommend a written licence for the importer.
Specimens of U.S. use
An Argentine label or website does not prove U.S. sales. U.S. specimens must show the mark on goods sold or shipped in the U.S.
We review the client's U.S. labels and listings before filing.
Payment and currency
Exchange controls can delay payment of U.S. fees and miss deadlines.
Our invoices are in U.S. dollars, with wire instructions, and we confirm funding before fee-bearing deadlines.
Work flows both ways
Because Argentina is outside Madrid, U.S. brand owners file directly at INPI Argentina through Argentine counsel. We refer that work to the Argentine firms that send us U.S. matters.
We do not practice Argentine law. When a U.S. client needs protection in Argentina, the matter goes to Argentine counsel, and we report the result to our client.
What to send with an instruction
- Client name, entity type, and country of organization
- Full address of domicile (street address, not a P.O. box)
- The mark as filed at home, with any color claim and translation
- Home filing or registration number and date (for priority or Section 44(e))
- Goods and services, ideally already in U.S. ID Manual wording
- U.S. use dates and a specimen, if the client already sells in the U.S.
- For Madrid refusals: the WIPO notification and the USPTO refusal
- The response or filing deadline you are working to
Frequently asked questions
Can our Argentine client use Madrid?
No. Argentina is not a Madrid member, so U.S. protection requires a direct USPTO application filed by a U.S.-licensed attorney.
Can the U.S. registration rely on the Argentine registration?
Yes. Under Section 44(e), a U.S. registration can issue on the basis of the Argentine registration, without U.S. use. Use must be shown between years 5 and 6.
How are your fees structured for associate work?
Standard actions, such as a new application, a response to a routine refusal, or a Section 71 declaration, carry fixed professional fees, listed in our associate fee schedule. Contested work is billed by the hour or on a quoted budget. Government fees are passed through at cost, and invoices are in U.S. dollars.
How quickly do you act on an instruction?
We confirm receipt and the deadline the same business day and clear conflicts before substantive work. For urgent deadlines, tell us the date in your first email.
Do you report in Spanish and bill in dollars?
Yes. We report in Spanish or English and invoice in U.S. dollars with wire instructions.
Will you contact our client directly?
No, unless you ask us to. We report to you and copy the client only on your instruction.
Request our associate fee schedule
Our schedule lists fixed fees for the U.S. actions Argentine firms send most often, with our instruction checklist and a short guide to the most common USPTO refusals of filings from abroad.
- Direct USPTO applications
- Section 44(d) and 44(e) filings
- TTAB oppositions and cancellations
- Section 8 and Section 71 declarations