– Law of December 2, 1916.
– Bolivian Decree of May 6, 1960 (No. 05470).
– Decision 486 of the Andean Community (Cartagena Agreement), in force since December 1, 2000.

– Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), since July 6, 1993.
– Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm Act, since November 4, 1993.
– WTO’s TRIPS Agreement, since July 5, 1995.
– Andean Community Decision No. 486, since December 1, 2000.
– The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille), since May 7, 2018.

Applicant: the inventor or his/her assignee.

Foreign applicants: must have an appointee.

Patentability: to the adequate extent, the provisions relative to patents of invention are applicable to utility models. Deadlines are computed in half.

Novelty: any new form, configuration or arrangement of elements, of some artifact, tool, instrument, mechanism or other object, or part of the same which incorporates it, or which provides some new advantage or technical effect.

Exceptions to protection: as for “patents of invention“. Furthermore, sculpture, architecture, painting, engraving and printing works or any other objects of a purely aesthetic nature, will not be deemed to be models.

Opposition to application filed: can be filed within thirty working days from publication in the Official Gazette.

Filing requirements for an application (to be sent to resident agent):
1. Apostilled power of attorney;
2. Graphic representations or photographs with different views of the utility models to be protected;
3. Specification, drawings (if any) and abstract of the invention in Spanish;
4. Name, address and nationality of applicant.

For assignment:
1. Apostilled assignment deed;
2. Apostilled power of attorney executed before a Notary Public, signed by the assignor and the assignee.

Filing without power of attorney: possible as long as it is submitted within two months.

Electronic filing: not available. 

Electronic signatures: are not accepted (only wet signatures).

Examination: as to form and novelty.

Beginning of protection: date of filing.

Duration: ten years as of application date.

Extension: not possible.

Annuities: the first annuity is payable on filing and the following ones are payable every year on the same date of filing. Grace period: six months.