{"id":607,"date":"2026-07-08T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/cross-border-ip-strategy-us-latam\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T09:00:00","slug":"cross-border-ip-strategy-us-latam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/blog\/cross-border-ip-strategy-us-latam\/","title":{"rendered":"Cross-border IP strategy US\u2013LatAm: where Madrid, Hague and PCT stop working"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A cross-border IP strategy for US\u2013LatAm expansion cannot rely on the PCT, Madrid and Hague systems alone. A US company that files a PCT application and a Madrid international registration from the USPTO reaches part of Latin America, not all of it: according to WIPO, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela are not PCT members, and in South and Central America the Madrid System only covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. This guide is for US companies, and European groups with US-origin filings, planning protection in Latin America.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The PCT reaches most of Latin America, but <strong>not Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay or Venezuela<\/strong>; there, patents must be filed directly within the 12-month Paris priority period.<\/li>\n<li>Madrid covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico in Latin America; Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and the Spanish-speaking Central American countries need national trade mark filings.<\/li>\n<li>The Hague System for designs covers Mexico and Brazil among the large markets; everywhere else, designs go national within six months.<\/li>\n<li>The six-month Paris deadline for marks and designs usually arrives before anyone has looked at Latin America.<\/li>\n<li>Licences recorded at WIPO have no effect in Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Mexico, so local recordal is still needed there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How far do Madrid, Hague and the PCT reach in Latin America?<\/h2>\n<p>The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) lets one international patent application keep options open in its member states; the Madrid System does the same for trade marks and the Hague System for industrial designs. The table shows membership for the main Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking markets, with the date each system took effect, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/documents\/d\/treaties\/docs-en-pct.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO PCT status list of 19 May 2026<\/a> and the WIPO Lex lists of contracting parties to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/wipolex\/en\/treaties\/ShowResults?search_what=C&amp;treaty_id=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Madrid Protocol<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/wipolex\/en\/treaties\/ShowResults?search_what=C&amp;treaty_id=9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hague Agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Country<\/th>\n<th>PCT (patents)<\/th>\n<th>Madrid (marks)<\/th>\n<th>Hague (designs)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Mexico<\/td>\n<td>Yes (1995)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2013)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2020)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Brazil<\/td>\n<td>Yes (1978)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2019)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2023)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Colombia<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2001)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2012)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Chile<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2009)<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2022)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Peru<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2009)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ecuador<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2001)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Uruguay<\/td>\n<td>Yes (2025)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Dominican Republic<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Argentina<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Madrid and Hague also include several Caribbean states, such as Belize and Jamaica. All the countries in the table are party to the Paris Convention, which is what keeps the national routes open.<\/p>\n<h2>Patents: what happens outside the PCT?<\/h2>\n<p>Under the Paris Convention, a first filing gives <strong>12 months of priority for patents and utility models<\/strong> and six months for designs and trade marks (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/treaties\/en\/ip\/paris\/summary_paris.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO summary of the Paris Convention<\/a>). For PCT countries, the international application filed within those 12 months buys time: national phase entry is due at 30 months from priority (PCT Article 22).<\/p>\n<p>Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela cannot be reached that way. The national application has to be filed directly, claiming the US priority, before month 12. Once the international application is published at 18 months, a late filing in those countries will normally face that publication as prior art. In practice, the month-12 decision for these four markets is the one most often missed, because the PCT filing gives the feeling that everything is covered.<\/p>\n<p>Uruguay is a recent member: it joined the PCT on 7 January 2025, with the declaration under Article 64(1)(a), which excludes Chapter II (international preliminary examination).<\/p>\n<h2>Trade marks: where Madrid works and where it does not<\/h2>\n<p>A US company can use its USPTO application or registration as the basic mark for an international registration designating Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Two constraints matter. First, the goods and services in the international application must be covered by the basic mark, so a narrow US specification narrows every designation. Second, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/edocs\/pubdocs\/en\/wipo-pub-455-2024-en-guide-to-the-madrid-system-international-registration-of-marks-under-the-madrid-protocol.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Guide to the Madrid System<\/a>, the international registration remains dependent on the basic mark for five years: if the US mark falls, the designations fall with it, subject to transformation into national applications.<\/p>\n<p>For Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and the Spanish-speaking Central American countries, filings are national, each with its own office, language and fees. The Paris priority period for marks is six months, so the order of filings has to be decided early. In the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), the common rules of Decision 486 apply, but there is no single regional title: each national office grants the registration.<\/p>\n<h2>Designs: Hague reaches only part of the region<\/h2>\n<p>The United States has been part of the Hague System since 13 May 2015, so a US applicant can designate Mexico and Brazil in one international design application filed with WIPO. Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru and the rest of South America require national design applications, and the priority period is six months, the same as for marks. Drawing requirements also differ by country, so the drawings prepared for the USPTO may need adjusting before national filing.<\/p>\n<h2>A cross-border IP strategy roadmap, country by country<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Before the US filing: decide which Latin American markets matter in the next five years, not only today.<\/li>\n<li>By month 6 (marks and designs): file the Madrid international registration for Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, a Hague application for Mexico and Brazil, and national applications elsewhere.<\/li>\n<li>By month 12 (patents): file the PCT application and, at the same time, direct national applications in Argentina and any of Bolivia, Paraguay or Venezuela that matter.<\/li>\n<li>By month 30: enter the national phase in the PCT countries chosen, with translations into Spanish or Portuguese.<\/li>\n<li>After registration: record licences locally in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, where WIPO recordal of licences has no effect, and keep local representatives in place where required.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What this means for your business<\/h2>\n<p>A US\u2013LatAm strategy works as one calendar with two tracks: the international systems where they apply and national filings where they do not. The international track is managed centrally; the national track needs local agents. Where Venezuela is involved, check US sanctions rules with your sanctions counsel before instructing filings or paying official fees.<\/p>\n<p>If you need both tracks coordinated, our team for <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/ip-strategy-cross-border\/\">cross-border IP strategy between the US and Latin America<\/a> can build the filing calendar and coordinate the national filings with your US counsel.<\/p>\n<h2>Where US companies get Latin America wrong<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Assuming the PCT covers the whole region.<\/strong> Argentina is the market where this costs most often.<\/li>\n<li>Missing the six-month priority for marks and designs, then finding a local filing by a distributor or a squatter.<\/li>\n<li>Using a narrow US specification as the basic mark, which limits the Madrid designations.<\/li>\n<li>Forgetting local representation: Brazil requires foreign owners to keep a qualified attorney domiciled there (Law 9.279\/1996, Art. 217), and PCT Article 27(7) lets designated offices require a local agent.<\/li>\n<li>Relying on WIPO recordals of licences in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, where they have no effect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Does a PCT application protect my invention in Argentina?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Argentina is not a member of the PCT, so a PCT application cannot be extended there. You need a national Argentine application filed within 12 months of your first filing, claiming Paris Convention priority. The same applies to Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela, which are also outside the PCT according to WIPO&#8217;s status list.<\/p>\n<h3>Which Latin American countries can I designate through Madrid from the US?<\/h3>\n<p>In Latin America, the Madrid System covers Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, plus several Caribbean states. Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and the Spanish-speaking Central American countries need national applications. Keep in mind that the designations depend on your US basic mark for five years.<\/p>\n<h3>How long do I have to file trade marks and designs in Latin America?<\/h3>\n<p>Six months from the first filing to claim Paris Convention priority for trade marks and industrial designs, compared with 12 months for patents. After that, you can still file, but any third-party filing made in the meantime may take precedence, so the Latin American plan should be set before the US application is filed.<\/p>\n<h3>Can IP Global Guard coordinate our Latin American filings from the US?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. We work alongside your US counsel, who handles the USPTO filings, and coordinate the Madrid, Hague and PCT steps and the national filings through local correspondents across Latin America, with one calendar, one point of contact and one billing relationship. We do not act before the USPTO.<\/p>\n<h2>How IP Global Guard can coordinate your US\u2013LatAm filings<\/h2>\n<p>The gaps in Madrid, Hague and the PCT are predictable, which means they can be planned for. IP Global Guard, the IP services line of META Channel Corporation Limited, coordinates filings across more than 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Latin America and Africa from a single point of contact, using the international systems where they reach and coordinated local correspondents where they do not; see our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/coverage\/\">Latin American coverage<\/a> and our <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/services\/patents\/\">international patent filing service<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tell us your US filing dates and the Latin American markets on your roadmap. We will map which deadlines fall at months 6, 12 and 30 and what each country needs. <a href=\"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/contact\/\">Send us your filing calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace an assessment of your specific case.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/documents\/d\/treaties\/docs-en-pct.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, Patent Cooperation Treaty, status on 19 May 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/wipolex\/en\/treaties\/ShowResults?search_what=C&amp;treaty_id=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Lex, Madrid Protocol contracting parties (database)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/wipolex\/en\/treaties\/ShowResults?search_what=C&amp;treaty_id=9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Lex, Hague Agreement contracting parties (database)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/wipolex\/en\/treaties\/ShowResults?search_what=C&amp;treaty_id=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO Lex, Paris Convention contracting parties (database)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/treaties\/en\/ip\/paris\/summary_paris.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, Summary of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/pct-system\/texts\/articles\/a22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, PCT Article 22<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/pct-system\/texts\/articles\/a27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article 27<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/edocs\/pubdocs\/en\/wipo-pub-455-2024-en-guide-to-the-madrid-system-international-registration-of-marks-under-the-madrid-protocol.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, Guide to the Madrid System (2024)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/treaties\/en\/registration\/hague\/summary_hague.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, Summary of the Hague Agreement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/en\/web\/madrid-system\/members\/declarations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO, Madrid System declarations made by members (Rule 20bis(6))<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planalto.gov.br\/ccivil_03\/leis\/l9279.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brazil, Industrial Property Law 9.279 of 14 May 1996<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comunidadandina.org\/StaticFiles\/DocOf\/DEC486.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andean Community, Decision 486, Common Industrial Property Regime (2000)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PCT, Madrid and Hague leave gaps in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Venezuela are outside the PCT and Madrid covers four markets. A country-by-country roadmap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1219,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[86,48,76,46,74,58],"class_list":["post-607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ip-strategy-cross-border","tag-argentina","tag-brazil","tag-colombia","tag-mexico","tag-pct","tag-wipo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipglobalguard.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}