Trade Name Registration in Dominican Republic: One-Day Approval and One Common Misunderstanding

For years, the slowest step in forming a Dominican company was often the first one: getting a name approved. Executive Decree 260-18 changed that arithmetic, cutting the review and approval of trade name applications to a single working day.

The decree amended articles 65 and 66 of Regulation 599-01, which implements Intellectual Property Law 20-00 of May 10, 2000. Its stated purpose was to make government procedures more efficient and streamline the country’s regulatory framework. Alongside the one-day review, it made electronic filing mandatory: applications for distinctive signs now go through the intellectual property e-filing platform administered by the Dominican Trademark Office (ONAPI).

For a foreign investor incorporating a company in the Dominican Republic, the practical effect is that the name-clearance step no longer dictates the incorporation calendar. The application is filed online, reviewed against existing registrations, and, absent a conflict, approved the next business day.

A trade name is not a trademark

The nuance that trips up new market entrants: a trade name identifies a business or commercial establishment; a trademark identifies the products or services that business sells. Registering “Caribe Foods, S.R.L.” as a trade name does not stop a competitor from selling sauces under a “Caribe” brand. Companies that intend to put their name on products or storefronts generally need both registrations, and the trademark side follows its own process, with publication and an opposition period.

Several of our IP professionals are members of international trademark associations and the International Law Section of the American Bar Association, and participate in Dominican law and regulation working committees. If you are clearing a name for a new Dominican company, or realizing your trade name never became a trademark, we can close that gap before someone else exploits it.

Do you want more information about trade name registration services in Dominican Republic? Contact Us.

Disclaimer: This publication is not intended to provide advice or suggest a guaranteed outcome as individual situations will differ and the situation may have changed since publication. For specific advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.

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