According to national legislation (Law 17.296), the Regulatory Unit of Communications Services (URSEC) has been constituted as a decentralized state legal entity (decentralized public service). However, it is reported that Uruguay's regulatory entity has autonomy only for some decisions.

Art. 16 of the Telecommunications Licensing Regulations requires licensees whose corporate purpose includes activities other than the provision of telecommunications services to keep separate accounts for the latter. Therefore, it is not required for operators with market power but only for activities other than telecommunications.

Art. 6 of Law 14,235 establishes that the National Telecommunications Administration of Uruguay (ANTEL) has a monopoly on telecommunications services. As this law predates the Internet, it has generated uncertainty about the scope of ANTEL's monopoly. In practice, other companies have been operating in the market, although the operator never granted licenses to provide data transmission services until June 2022. The situation changed as a result of a court ruling in 2016. Following an appeal by a group of companies, the Uruguayan Court of Justice declared Art. 56 of the 2015 Media Law invalid, thus allowing holders of audiovisual communication services to apply for licenses to provide broadband and Internet access services.

Pursuant to Art. 1 of Law 14,235, the National Telecommunications Administration of Uruguay (ANTEL) is a decentralized public service and the company is fully state-owned.

It is reported that Uruguay does not mandate functional or accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market.

Uruguay has no rules applicable to the protection of trade secrets. It is reported that the Uruguayan legal system does not have a single reference to business or trade secrets, nor does the legal system have a law on unfair competition in which to include its regulation.

It is reported that passive sharing of infrastructure in the telecom market is not mandated, but it is practiced in the mobile sector based on commercial agreements. However, in the fixed sector is not mandated nor practiced.

Uruguay has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonogram Treaty.

Uruguay has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Uruguay has a copyright regime under the Law No. 9.739. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Art. 45 lists the exceptions, which include: Publication of works intended for teaching, excerpts, fragments of poetry, and single articles, provided that the author's name is indicated; Publication of works intended for teaching, excerpts, fragments of poetry, and single articles, provided that the author's name is indicated; Dissemination of news, reports, and journalistic information as long as their exact version is maintained and their origin is expressed; among others.

It is reported that the rate of unlicensed software installation in Uruguay was 67% in 2017 (above the 52% rate of the Latin American countries) for an estimated commercial value of USD 51 million.

Uruguay is not a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Uruguay is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), nor does it have observer status.

It is reported that Uruguay grants price preferences to small and medium-sized local companies in public bidding processes. However, this policy has not been found in the regulatory texts.

Art. 58 of the Orderly Text of Accounting and Financial Administration (TOCAF) sets a preferential regime granting a 8% price preference to public works, goods and services produced domestically.