Registered Trademark in Colombia
Trademarks are a fundamental part of the business world, since they represent the identity of a company or product in the market.
In Colombia, it is necessary to register a trademark to protect it and prevent unauthorized use by third parties.
For this reason, it is important to know how to check trademarks in Colombia.
Consultation before the SIC
The first step to consult trademarks registered in Colombia is to access the web page of the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) ( https://www.sic.gov.co/ ), which is the entity in charge of registering and protecting trademarks in the country.
On the main page, there is a drop-down menu with a section called “Attention and services to citizens”, where different queries can be made.
Once inside this section, select the option “Virtual Industrial Property Office”, which will take the user to a new screen where he/she will have to log in if he/she has an account or register with the e-mail address and the creation of a username and password.
Once the account is created, the person who will act before the SIC must be created or selected, filling in the required information.
Subsequently, the SIPI portal will open, which has a tray of options on the left side of the page: my account, distinctive signs, patents/plots, industrial design, opposition, consultations, applications and appeals and procedures.
In the “Trademark history request” section, fill in the required data with the name and characteristics of the trademark to be consulted.
From there, according to the type of search selected, either figurative, phonetic or figurative and phonetic, payment must be made for the search request.
Trademark Background Check
It is important to note that the consultation of registered trademarks in Colombia is public, so anyone can perform it.
However, it is necessary to take into account that the information obtained through this consultation is not binding and that the SIC is the only entity that can certify the validity of a registered trademark.
The SIC page before starting the search indicates the following:
“Please note that the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce does not guarantee the accuracy of the results of the searches performed with the tool or the data contained therein, since these correspond to approximations based on a search algorithm and an artificial intelligence model for image recognition, which also depend on the search parameters entered.
For this reason, the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce does not assume any type of responsibility for the results of the searches and therefore with respect to applications for registration of trademarks, registered trademarks or trademarks in process, which do not appear as a result of the search.
Likewise, the search results obtained by the tool do not compromise the decision of the Superintendency to grant or deny the application for registration by means of an administrative act in accordance with the regulations in force”.
Once the search criteria have been entered, a list of brands that meet these criteria will be displayed.
In this list you can find the details of each trademark, such as its registration number, the filing date of the application, the class to which it belongs and the name of the owner.
It is also possible to download a certificate of trademark validity, which indicates whether the trademark is still in force or whether it has been cancelled or expired.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that, although the consultation of trademarks in Colombia is a simple and fast process, it is necessary to have some previous knowledge to understand all the information shown.
For this reason, it is advisable to have the advice of a lawyer specialized in intellectual property to carry out the consultation and properly understand the results obtained.