To obtain trademark rights in Paraguay, the mark must be registered locally with the National Directorate of Intellectual Property DINAPI. Prior use of a trademark in Paraguay is not required to file or register it, but it can be helpful to overcome objections based on lack of distinctiveness, by showing that the mark has acquired distinctiveness through use.
If you register a combined trademark (including both word and figurative elements) in Paraguay, your exclusive right of use is limited to the exact configuration in which the mark was filed and registered. If you wish to use the word element separately from the logo (or vice versa), it is advisable to file an additional application covering only the elements you wish to use and protect independently.
If a third party later seeks to register or use a trademark for similar goods or services that includes a primary or distinctive part of your trademark, you may oppose that application on the basis of confusing similarity.
In Paraguay, once a trademark is registered, it is automatically entered into the database of the National Customs Office Dirección Nacional de Aduanas. DINAPI and Customs use the same database for trademark-related matters, which allows the representative of a registered trademark to act on the owner’s behalf before customs authorities.