How to Search Trademarks in Argentina: INPI Database and 2026 Guide

By Gaspar Guardia, Trademark Agent registered with INPI (Agent No. 2197) at Promarca · Updated: October 2026

Before filing a trademark in Argentina, you need to know whether someone already owns the same or a similar mark. Argentina is a first-to-file country: rights generally go to whoever files first, not to whoever used the brand first. A good search tells you whether your mark is available, how risky the filing is, and whether you should adjust the name before investing in it.

This guide explains which databases exist, what each one can and cannot find, and how to read the results. For the full filing process, see our guide to trademark registration in Argentina.

Why a search matters more since 2026 New 2026

Under Resolution 583/2025, in force since December 11, 2025, INPI still refuses marks that are identical to an earlier registration, but it no longer examines whether earlier marks are similar or confusingly similar. Those conflicts are resolved only if the owner of the earlier mark files an opposition within 30 calendar days of publication.

In practice this cuts both ways. Your application can be granted faster, but if it is close to an existing mark you may face an opposition, or a dispute later on. And a third party can file a mark similar to yours without INPI stopping it. A search before filing, and a watch service after, are the way to manage both risks. Read more in Argentina’s 2026 trademark overhaul.

Step 1: Free search in INPI’s trademark database

INPI offers a free online search in its procedures portal. It searches by identical characters: it finds marks written exactly as you type them.

1. Open the search page: portaltramites.inpi.gob.ar/marcasconsultas/busqueda (the interface is in Spanish).
2. Type your mark in the Denominación (name) field.
3. Tick Solo vigentes to see only marks that are currently in force.
4. Read the result. If the portal shows «No hay resultados que correspondan con su criterio de búsqueda», no identical mark was found. That does not mean the mark is free: similar marks will not appear.

Step 2: Search the obvious variants

Because the free search only matches identical characters, repeat it with the variations a competitor, an examiner or a judge could consider confusing:

• Spelling changes: letters that sound the same in Spanish (b/v, s/z, c/k, y/ll) and doubled or missing letters.
• Spacing and hyphens: the name written as one word, as two words and with a hyphen.
• Singular and plural, and versions with and without accents.
• Translations: the Spanish equivalent of an English name, and vice versa.
• The dominant word alone: if your mark has several words, search the most distinctive one by itself.

Step 3: Phonetic search (paid INPI service)

INPI’s Technological Information area runs phonetic searches on its trademark databases. They find marks that sound alike even when they are spelled differently, which is exactly what the free search misses. INPI itself recommends this search before filing.

• What you need: the name and the class (or classes) you want to register.
• How it is requested: through INPI’s procedures portal, which requires an Argentine tax login (clave fiscal). That is why foreign owners usually request it through a local agent.
• Cost and timing: it is a paid procedure, charged per class (or for all goods or all services classes), under INPI’s current fee schedule. INPI states a turnaround of one day.

Step 4: TMview, the free international database

INPI has been part of TMview since 2017. TMview is a free platform, available in English, that lets you search Argentine trademarks together with those of many other offices, check which goods and services competitors’ marks cover, and follow selected marks. It is useful for a first check from abroad, but it is not a substitute for a phonetic or professional search in Argentina.

Which tool finds what

Search in the right classes

Argentina uses the Nice Classification, which groups goods and services into 45 classes. A similar mark is usually a problem when it covers the same or related goods or services, so a search only makes sense once you know which classes your business needs. A brand for clothing (class 25) and a brand for software (class 9 or 42) can sometimes coexist; two brands for clothing usually cannot.

What a database search cannot tell you

• Unregistered prior use. A company may be using the name without having registered it. In some cases, particularly bad-faith disputes, that use can matter.
• Company names and domains. Business names and .ar domains are registered elsewhere and do not appear in INPI’s trademark database.
• Your real risk. Whether two marks are confusingly similar depends on sound, appearance, meaning and the goods involved. A list of results needs to be interpreted.

What to do with the results

• No identical or similar marks: file as soon as possible. Your filing date is what secures priority.
• A similar mark in unrelated classes: filing may still be viable. Assess the risk of an opposition before you invest in the name.
• An identical mark in the same class: INPI will refuse it. Consider changing the name, or check whether the earlier mark is in use, since non-use can open the door to a cancellation action.

Frequently asked questions