Is Your Uruguayan Brand Protected in the United States?
¿Su marca uruguaya está protegida en Estados Unidos?
Uruguay's software, fintech, and services companies, along with its meat, dairy, and agricultural exporters, increasingly sell into the U.S. Uruguay is not a Madrid Protocol member, so Uruguayan owners file directly with the USPTO through a U.S.-licensed attorney.
Uruguayan trademark filings at the USPTO, 2021 to 2026
Uruguayan applicants filed about 50 to 90 U.S. applications a year from 2021 to 2025. Unlike most of the region, their filings are led by business services and technology in Classes 35, 9, and 42, and financial services in Class 36.
U.S. applications filed by Uruguayan owners
Applications per filing year from owners with an address in Uruguay. The 2026 bar covers January through September.
View data table
| Filing year | Filed | Registered to date | Via Madrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64 | 35 | 0 |
| 2022 | 48 | 25 | 0 |
| 2023 | 92 | 50 | 0 |
| 2024 | 64 | 28 | 0 |
| 2025 | 55 | 23 | 2 |
| 2026 (Jan.–Sept.) | 43 | 3 | 0 |
Most common classes in Uruguayan filings
Applications naming each class, 2021 to 2025. A filing can name more than one class.
Uruguay's leading sectors: software and technology services, fintech, games and media, meat and dairy, and agriculture.
Top five Uruguay-based owners of live U.S. trademark registrations
Current owners with an address in Uruguay, ranked by the live U.S. registrations they hold. In all, 374 live U.S. registrations list an owner in Uruguay.
View data table
| Rank | Owner | Live U.S. registrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Time Studios Ltd. | 13 |
| 2 | Batfer Investment S.A. | 11 |
| 3 | Ilsery S.A. | 9 |
| 4 | Inversora Lumirt S.A. | 6 |
| 5 | Monte Paz (Cía. Industrial de Tabacos) | 6 |
Counts the last listed owner of each live registration, grouping variations of the same company name. Registrations held through U.S. subsidiaries are not included.
How we counted. USPTO trademark records, retrieved October 27, 2026, counting applications by filing date where an owner's address is in Uruguay. Brands owned through U.S. subsidiaries are counted under the U.S. The "registered" figures include registrations later cancelled.
How Uruguayan applications fare at the USPTO
The USPTO issued 40 registrations to Uruguayan owners in 2025, up 43% from 2021. Today, 375 live U.S. registrations and 95 pending applications name an owner in Uruguay.
Applications filed and registrations issued
Applications by filing year, and registrations by the year they issued. A registration usually issues 12 to 18 months after filing.
View data table
| Year | Applications filed | Registrations issued |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 64 | 28 |
| 2022 | 48 | 24 |
| 2023 | 92 | 26 |
| 2024 | 64 | 43 |
| 2025 | 55 | 40 |
How Uruguayan owners file: the filing basis
Share of 2021–2025 applications claiming each basis. An application can claim more than one.
Intent to use lets a brand reserve its U.S. rights before launch. Because Uruguay is not a Madrid member, none of these filings could use the Madrid route.
View data table
| Basis | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Intent to use · § 1(b) | 199 | 62% |
| Use in U.S. commerce · § 1(a) | 76 | 24% |
| Home registration · § 44(e) | 33 | 10% |
| Priority claim · § 44(d) | 30 | 9% |
| Madrid designation · § 66(a) | 2 | 1% |
What happened to Uruguayan applications, by filing year
Status today of applications filed each year. Recent years are still largely pending.
View data table
| Filing year | Registered | Abandoned | Pending or other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 filings | 35 | 28 | 1 |
| 2022 filings | 25 | 20 | 3 |
| 2023 filings | 50 | 31 | 11 |
| 2024 filings | 28 | 23 | 13 |
| 2025 filings | 23 | 8 | 24 |
Most abandonments follow an unanswered USPTO refusal or a missed deadline to file a statement of use. Both are avoidable with a U.S. attorney docketing the file.
A DNPI registration stops at the border
Trademark rights are territorial. A registration from Dirección Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (DNPI) protects your brand in Uruguay, and nowhere else. In the United States, another company can file for the same name, and if it files first or uses it first, it can block your products, your Amazon listings, and your U.S. distributors.
Most Latin American systems give rights to whoever registers first. The U.S. system is different: rights come from use in the U.S., and a federal registration extends them nationwide. An application filed before you launch, on an intent-to-use basis, secures your U.S. priority date before your first shipment.
Signs you should file in the U.S. now
- You are appointing a U.S. importer, distributor, or franchisee
- You plan to sell on Amazon.com or other U.S. marketplaces
- Your products are already sold in Miami or elsewhere in the U.S.
- You are opening a U.S. location or a U.S. subsidiary
- You have found a U.S. company using a similar name
Many Uruguayan technology companies operate through a U.S. subsidiary. Deciding which entity owns the U.S. trademark is the first step.
How a Uruguayan brand gets U.S. protection
A direct USPTO application
Uruguay is not a member of the Madrid Protocol, so a Uruguayan owner cannot extend a DNPI filing to the U.S. through WIPO. Protection requires an application filed directly with the USPTO by a U.S.-licensed attorney.
The application can be based on use in U.S. commerce, a bona fide intent to use, or the Uruguayan filing itself under Section 44 of the Lanham Act.
Using your DNPI filing in the U.S.
- Section 44(d): file in the U.S. within six months of your DNPI application and claim its filing date as your U.S. priority date
- Section 44(e): rely on your DNPI registration, so the U.S. registration can issue without proof of U.S. use
- Either way, U.S. use must be shown between years 5 and 6 to keep the registration
Why a Uruguayan owner needs a U.S. attorney
Since August 3, 2019, every applicant or registrant domiciled outside the United States must be represented before the USPTO by an attorney licensed in a U.S. state. That covers new applications, responses to refusals, oppositions, and post-registration filings.
We act as the U.S. attorney of record for Uruguayan companies and work alongside their DNPI filing firm, which stays involved in the strategy.
Selling into the U.S.
- Amazon Brand Registry: Amazon recommends a trademark for each store you sell in, which for Amazon.com means a USPTO filing
- U.S. Customs recordation stops counterfeit imports once the mark registers
- Miami's port, airport, and distributors are the gateway for many Uruguayan products entering the U.S.
Who does what for your U.S. filing
Each matter is handled by a U.S.-licensed attorney, supported by paralegals and docketing staff who manage documents, deadlines, and communication. You always know who is responsible for each step.
Attorneys
Your U.S. attorney of record before the USPTO.
- Clearance search review and a written risk opinion
- Choice of owner, filing basis, and route (direct filing, with priority where available)
- Drafting goods and services in U.S. form
- Responses to USPTO refusals, oppositions, and letters of protest
- Enforcement against U.S. infringers and marketplace sellers
Paralegals and docketing
The people who keep your file complete and on time.
- Collecting DNPI filings, certificates, and translations
- Reviewing specimens and evidence of U.S. use
- Preparing filings and USPTO forms for attorney review
- Docketing every USPTO and maintenance deadline
- Preparing CBP recordation and Amazon Brand Registry paperwork
Client communication
Built for owners and counsel outside the U.S.
- Service in English and Spanish
- WhatsApp and email updates at each step
- Copies of every USPTO notice with a plain explanation
- Invoices in U.S. dollars with wire instructions
- Coordination with your DNPI filing firm
Working with your home counsel
Many Uruguayan brands reach us through their DNPI filing firm. We take instructions from that firm, report back in Spanish or English, and keep the client relationship where it belongs. Our role is the U.S. side: filing, examination, deadlines, and enforcement.
Foreign Trademark Counsel explains how we work with firms abroad.
Fees and paying from abroad
- Invoices in U.S. dollars, with wire transfer instructions
- USPTO fees passed through at cost
- A written estimate before each filing or response
Top five filing mistakes Uruguayan applicants make
These are the errors we see most often in U.S. filings by Uruguayan brand owners. Most cannot be fixed after the application is filed.
The wrong company as owner
Technology companies with a Uruguayan parent and a Delaware subsidiary often file in whichever name is convenient. The owner must be the entity that controls the brand.
OwnershipDecide on the owner and document licenses within the group before filing.
Mixing software goods and services
Downloadable apps are Class 9, SaaS and platforms are Class 42, and payment services are Class 36. Combining them in one vague description draws refusals.
IdentificationDescribe each product and service in the right class.
Missing the six-month priority window
A U.S. filing within six months of the DNPI application can claim the Uruguayan filing date.
Section 44(d)File in the U.S. within six months of the DNPI filing.
Generic technology names
Names that describe the service, such as combinations of pay, cloud, data, or app, are weak or refused as descriptive.
§ 2(e)(1)Choose a distinctive, invented, or arbitrary name.
Claiming use before U.S. customers
Filing under Section 1(a) requires actual U.S. customers. A website available in the U.S. is not enough on its own.
Use in commerceUse an intent-to-use or Section 44 basis until U.S. sales begin.
Frequently asked questions
Does my DNPI registration protect my brand in the United States?
No. Trademark rights are territorial. A DNPI registration protects your brand in Uruguay only, and someone else can register it at the USPTO first.
Do I need a U.S. attorney?
Yes. Since August 3, 2019, applicants and registrants domiciled outside the U.S., including in Uruguay, must be represented at the USPTO by a U.S.-licensed attorney.
Can I use the Madrid Protocol from Uruguay?
No. Uruguay is not a Madrid member, so U.S. protection requires a direct USPTO application.
Should our U.S. subsidiary file the trademark?
Only if it controls the brand. Often the Uruguayan parent owns the mark and licenses the subsidiary. We review the group structure first.
How do I pay from abroad?
Our invoices are in U.S. dollars, with wire transfer instructions. Government fees are passed through at cost.
How long does a U.S. application take?
Most applications take 12 to 18 months from filing to registration. A refusal, an opposition, or an intent-to-use basis can add several months.
What if someone has already registered my brand in the U.S.?
We review the earlier registration to see whether it is vulnerable, for example for nonuse, abandonment, or bad faith by a former distributor. Options include a cancellation petition, a negotiated coexistence or assignment, or a change of brand for the U.S. market.
Can I register a Spanish word as my U.S. trademark?
Yes, but the USPTO translates it. If the English meaning describes the goods, the mark is refused just as the English word would be. The application must include a translation of any Spanish wording.
What does a direct U.S. application cost?
The USPTO filing fee is $350 per class. Professional fees are quoted in writing in U.S. dollars before filing.
Agende una consulta
Tell us your brand, what you sell, and where in the U.S. you plan to sell it. We will check the U.S. register, recommend the right filing basis, and give you a written estimate in U.S. dollars.
- U.S. clearance searches
- Direct USPTO filings with Section 44 priority
- Responses to USPTO refusals
- Amazon Brand Registry and U.S. Customs recordation