Global Patent GO - Dominican Republic - Introduction to Patent Applications in the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

On December 5, 1492, Columbus arrived at the island that was later named after him. The island was inhabited by Taino people from South America and the Antilles, whose culture was based on agricultural production. By 1535, in just less than 50 years, there were less than 500 Taino natives left, and it became a colony of Spain. Later, in the long course of history, the Dominican Republic experienced the rule of Spain and France and gained independence in 1865. During World War I, the United States became the sovereign of the Dominican Republic. It was not until 1924 that the Dominican Republic truly had its own president, but this still failed to avoid the turbulent fate of the Dominican Republic. It was not until 1966 that the nearly 50-year civil war finally ended.

From 1966 to the present, the Dominican Republic has eventually developed into the 9th largest economy in Latin America and the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central America. In 2016, foreign direct investment in the Dominican Republic reached US$2.6 billion, and its economy has also developed from a single agricultural product export of sugar, cocoa and coffee to a diversified economy of services (accounting for 60%) and manufacturing (22%). Among them, tourism, telecommunications and finance occupy most of the service industry. The Dominican Republic's free port system is one of the most advanced free port systems in the world. In addition to the traditional assembly of finished products using imported raw materials, logistics, finance and other services are also booming. Many North American companies' customer service centers and more than 70 software development companies have established free port zones in the Dominican Republic.

In recent years, direct foreign investment in the Dominican power sector has exceeded US$1.24 billion, which is directly related to the fact that there are no special requirements for company shareholders in Dominican legislation. As a result, more and more private investors have entered the Dominican power industry. As the first country in Latin America to privatize telephone services, the Dominican telecommunications industry is extremely competitive and attractive, making it the undisputed telecommunications leader in the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic has diplomatic relations with 148 countries around the world, has joined dozens of international and regional organizations, and has signed bilateral trade agreements with many countries and regions. In 2018, the Dominican Republic established formal diplomatic relations with China at the ambassadorial level. China mainly exports electromechanical products, steel, vehicles and parts, plastic products and textiles to the Dominican Republic, and imports mainly nickel iron, copper and zinc ore and medical products. Chinese companies have undertaken a number of business projects in the Dominican Republic, including the first phase of JASPER wind power, the upgrade and transformation of distribution stations, and the quay crane project, becoming the second largest trading partner of the Dominican Republic in the world, the second largest source of imports and the eighth largest export destination. There is still room for growth in bilateral trade.

Introduction to the Patent System of the Dominican Republic

1. Patent Type:

• Invention: The protection period is 20 years from the date of filing the application.
• Utility model: The term of protection for a utility model is 15 years from the date of application.
• Industrial design: The initial protection period is 5 years from the date of application, and can be renewed for another 5 years before expiration, and can be renewed up to 2 times.

2. Review Unit:

• Dominican Republic Intellectual Property Office, Oficina Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial, referred to as ONAPI

III . Application Methods:

• Paris Convention: 12 months from the earliest priority date/filing date.
• PCT entry route: 30 months from the earliest priority date/filing date.

IV . Submit your application:

ONAPI will check the application fee receipt to determine the application date when accepting new applications, and publish them after completing the formal examination. The applicant must pay the substantive examination fee within 12 months from the date of publication to request a substantive examination. Patent applications that pass the substantive examination will be authorized. Before the final examination result, the applicant can convert the invention into a utility model or convert the utility model into an invention at any time.

V. Authorization and annual fees:

• Invention: Annual fees are payable annually starting from the second year.
• Utility Model: Patent maintenance fees are payable in the 5th and 10th years from the date of application.
• Design: Renewable every 5 years, can be renewed twice.

Latest Developments in Intellectual Property in the Dominican Republic

• The US Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released a report in 2024 that the Dominican Republic is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, home to the most attractive business environment in Latin America, and a major candidate for near-shore investment in advanced manufacturing in the US and regional markets, especially electronic products such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) and semiconductor assembly, testing and packaging (ATP). The country's PCB industry is expected to grow by 40% by 2030 to become a $1 trillion industry.
• In 2024, Purdue University in the United States signed a memorandum of understanding with the Dominican Republic to promote the development of the microchip and microelectronics industry in the Dominican Republic. This is one of the United States' near-shore efforts in the semiconductor industry. The geopolitical tensions will benefit the Dominican Republic and it is expected to be promoted from a middle-income country to a developed economy by 2060.
• The Dominican Republic offers a cost-competitive manufacturing environment. For example, the World Bank found that hourly labor costs in the Dominican Republic are just 6% of those in the United States, about half of those in Costa Rica or Mexico, and even lower than those in China.