Amendments To Trademark Law

Amendments to the Nicaraguan Trademark Law came into force on April 3, 2020 to expedite trademark proceedings. The amendments were effected by Law No. 1024, published in the Nicaragua Official Gazette on April 3, 2020. The amendments shorten opposition and response deadlines, increase and create new government fees, and require upfront payment of government fees.

• Opposition deadlines: All opposition deadlines have been shortened. The deadline to oppose a mark has been shortened from two months to thirty business days from publication. Likewise, the Applicant's time to file a response has been shortened from two months to thirty business days. If no response is filed, the application will be deemed abandoned. The parties' deadline to file evidence has been reduced from thirty to fifteen business days. A one-time request for an extension of fifteen business days to file evidence is available with payment of a government fee.