How can trade names be protected in the Dominican Republic?
Law 20-00 protects distinctive signs such as trade names, labels, emblems, slogans, appellations of origin, etc. The exclusive right to use a trade name does not arise from registration, but from its first commercial use. Protection is granted in the absence of registration and ends with the abandonment of the name, which takes place when the name has stopped being used by its holder for more than five years. However, for commercial slogans, the right of exclusive use arises from registration. Registration with the National Office of Industrial Property is not mandatory, and provides for a presumption that its holder has legitimately adopted and used the trade name.
