In Chile, a logo is mainly protected as a trademark with INAPI, because that is what grants the exclusive right to use it to sell goods or services. Copyright protects the drawing from the moment it is created, and registering it with the Copyright Department (Departamento de Derechos Intelectuales, DDI) costs 10% of one UTM plus CLP 900 for the certificate. Industrial design registration, on the other hand, protects the appearance of a product, not a company's identity. Each route covers something different, and they can be combined.
This guide helps you choose the protection your logo needs and avoid the most common problem: not having it in writing that the design is yours. Amounts are in Chilean pesos (CLP); the UTM is a Chilean tax unit that changes every month.
The three routes compared
| Route | What it protects | Where and how much | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark | Exclusive use of the name or logo to identify goods or services in commerce. | INAPI. 3 UTM per class, plus publication in the Official Gazette. | 10 years, renewable. |
| Copyright | The drawing as an artistic work: nobody can copy or use it without the owner's permission. | DDI. Protection exists without registration; registering a drawing costs 10% of one UTM (about CLP 7,215) plus CLP 900. | As a general rule, the author's life plus 70 years. |
| Industrial drawing or design | The appearance of a product: its shape or a pattern applied to it. | INAPI, with fees in UTM. | 15 years from filing, not renewable. |
Trademark: the main protection for a logo
If your logo identifies your company, what you need is for nobody else to use it, or something similar, to sell the same things you do. A trademark registration with INAPI, Chile's National Institute of Industrial Property, provides that. You can register just the name, just the graphic, or both together as a mixed mark. We explain the full process, with costs and deadlines, in how to register a trademark and logo in Chile.
A trademark protects within the classes of goods or services you choose and within Chile. That is why it is worth checking INAPI's search tool to make sure the name is available before commissioning the design.
Copyright: the drawing as a work
According to the DDI, the creation of the work is the source of protection, and registration is voluntary. In other words, the drawing of your logo is protected by copyright from the moment it is created, even if you never register it.
Registering it serves as evidence: the record establishes a presumption of ownership, not of authorship. It is useful if you ever need to prove since when and in whose name the design exists. The DDI classifies a logo as a drawing, an artistic work that costs 10% of one UTM to register, plus CLP 900 for the certificate.
What copyright does not do is replace a trademark: it protects the drawing as a work, but it does not give you exclusivity to use that sign in commerce. As the DDI itself explains, trademarks and industrial designs are registered with INAPI.
Industrial drawings and designs: for products, not identities
INAPI defines an industrial drawing as an arrangement of figures, lines or colors developed on a flat surface, and an industrial design as a three-dimensional form. They protect the appearance of a product: the pattern on a fabric, the shape of a container or of a piece of furniture. Registration lasts 15 years from filing and cannot be renewed.
For a company logo it is almost never the right route. It can be, though, if your brand lives in a product with its own shape or pattern that you want to protect in addition to the name.
Who owns the logo: the assignment of rights
Copyright arises in the name of whoever creates the drawing. If a designer or an agency created your logo, ask for the proposal or contract to state in writing that the rights to the final design are assigned to you. Without that document, registering or defending the trademark can get complicated.
These assignment contracts can also be registered with the DDI. At Origami, the assignment of rights to the final design is included in every identity project. It is one of the points we recommend checking in any logo quote.
What to do, depending on your case
- You have a company and a logo: register the trademark with INAPI in the classes where you sell. That is the essential step.
- A third party designed your logo: make sure you have the assignment of rights in writing before registering.
- You want extra, low-cost evidence: register the drawing with the DDI as an artistic work.
- Your product has its own shape or pattern: also consider an industrial drawing or design with INAPI.
Frequently asked questions
Is registering the logo with the Copyright Department enough?
Not to use it exclusively in commerce. The DDI protects the drawing as a work; exclusivity to identify goods or services comes from trademark registration with INAPI. Both registrations can complement each other.
How much does copyright registration of a logo cost in Chile?
A drawing costs 10% of one UTM plus CLP 900 for the certificate. With the October 2026 UTM (CLP 72,151), that is about CLP 8,115 in total.
Do I need to register the logo for it to be mine?
Copyright exists from the moment the drawing is created, without registration. But if a third party created it, you need the assignment of rights in writing, and to use it exclusively as a brand you need the trademark registration with INAPI.
Can industrial design registration protect a logo in Chile?
Usually not. Industrial drawings and designs protect the appearance of products, such as patterns or shapes, for 15 non-renewable years. For a company's identity, the route is a trademark.
At Origami we design identities built to be registered, in Spanish or English: we check for similar names before drawing, deliver the files ready for your application and include the assignment of rights to the final design. Learn about our strategy and branding service.
This guide summarizes public information from INAPI and the Copyright Department (DDI) for informational purposes. It does not replace advice from an intellectual property lawyer.
Sources
- DDI: copyright FAQ (in Spanish)
- DDI: registration fees by type of work (in Spanish)
- ChileAtiende: registering assignment contracts (in Spanish)
- INAPI: industrial drawings and designs (in Spanish)
- INAPI: trademark information
- SII: 2026 UTM values (in Spanish)
Related reading
- How to register a trademark and logo in Chile (INAPI): costs and steps in 2026
- How much a logo costs in Chile in 2026 and what it should include
- What a brand manual should include so your team can use it
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