Nicaragua is not listed in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report or the Notorious Market report.  Nonetheless, U.S. companies should consult a local attorney and take steps to protect intellectual property, including registering all intellectual property in Nicaragua.  The Embassy maintains a list of local attorneys. 

Companies are encouraged to work with trade associations and organizations to support efforts to protect IP and stop counterfeiting, including U.S.-based organizations:

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
• International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)
• International Trademark Association (INTA)
• International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC)
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
• Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property.  Please visit Protecting Intellectual Property and stopfakes.gov for more resources.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has positioned IP attachés in key markets around the world.  For more information about the IP attaché program, please visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.

IP Attaché Contact covering Nicaragua:

Cynthia Henderson, IP Attaché for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean
U.S. Embassy Mexico City
Paseo de la Reforma 305
Colonia Cuauhtémoc
06500 México, D.F.
+52 55 5080-2189 or +52 55 4550-0475
cynthia.henderson@trade.gov

For additional information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S.  Investment Climate Statement website.