To register a company name as a trademark in Colombia, an application must be filed with the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio - SIC), identifying the goods or services to be covered by the sign, selecting the corresponding classes under the Nice Classification, and paying the applicable official fees. The registration of a company or its corporate name with the commercial registry does not replace trademark registration.
An important legal distinction should be made: a corporate or business name, a trade name, and a trademark are different types of distinctive signs. Trademark registration protects a sign used to distinguish specific goods or services, whereas the exclusive right to a trade name is acquired through its first use in commerce. Therefore, when a company wishes to protect as a trademark the name under which it identifies its goods or services in the marketplace, it should assess and seek trademark registration before the SIC.
