ARGENTINA
N/A
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Participation in the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Lack of ratification of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Argentina signed the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in December 1970 but has not ratified it.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since September 1933
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Copyright law with clear exceptions
Law No. 11.723 - Intellectual Property Law (Ley No. 11.723 - Régimen Legal de la Propiedad Intelectual)
Argentina has a copyright regime under Law 11.723. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, thus limiting third parties' lawful use of copyrighted works. Arts. 10, 27, 28, 36 list the exceptions, which include the use and transmission of news of general interest (the original version must be published if the source is mentioned); the publication of parliamentary speeches, provided it is not done for profit; the performance of literary or artistic works in public events organised by educational institutions, provided that the performance is not broadcast and is free of charge.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231210171337/https://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/40000-44999/42755/texact.htm
- https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-010-2109?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true
- https://www.bakermckenzie.com/-/media/files/insight/publications/2018/04/bk_updated_dbarg_apr18.pdf?la=en
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ARGENTINA
Reported in 2018, last reported in 2025
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Enforcement of copyright online
Lack of adequately enforcement of copyright online
It is reported that the enforcement of intellectual property rights in Argentina is challenging, with stakeholders indicating widespread unfair competition stemming from the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods and services. Moreover, Argentina is reportedly experiencing elevated levels of online piracy, accompanied by inadequate enforcement mechanisms. Stakeholders indicate significant incidences of piracy facilitated through illicit streaming devices (ISDs) and unauthorised internet protocol television (IPTV) applications. In addition, concerns persist regarding the continued use of unlicensed software within governmental institutions in Argentina.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20260113225849/https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Issue_Areas/Enforcement/2025%20Special%20301%20Report%20(final).pdf
- https://cloudscorecard.bsa.org/2018/pdf/country_reports/2018_Country_Report_Argentina.pdf
- https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/reports/2021/2021%20Special%20301%20Report%20(final).pdf
- https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/2023%20Special%20301%20Report.pdf
- https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/IssueAreas/IP/2022%20Special%20301%20Report.pdf
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ARGENTINA
Since March 2002
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
WIPO Copyright Treaty
Argentina has adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since May 2002
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Adoption of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty
Argentina has adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since March 1921, last amended in 2021
Since January 1997
Since April 2019
Since January 1997
Since April 2019
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Effective protection covering trade secrets
Criminal Code (Código Penal de la Nación Argentina)
Law No. 24.766 on Confidential Information (Ley No. 24.766 de Confidencialidad sobre Información y Productos que estén Legítimamente Bajo Control de una Persona y se Divulgue Indebidamente de Manera Contraria a los Usos Comerciales Honestos)
Emergency Decree No. 74/2019 (Decreto No. 274/2019 de Lealtad Comercial)
Law No. 24.766 on Confidential Information (Ley No. 24.766 de Confidencialidad sobre Información y Productos que estén Legítimamente Bajo Control de una Persona y se Divulgue Indebidamente de Manera Contraria a los Usos Comerciales Honestos)
Emergency Decree No. 74/2019 (Decreto No. 274/2019 de Lealtad Comercial)
In Argentina, trade secrets are protected by the provisions of Art. 156 of the Criminal Code, Law 24,766 and Emergency Decree 274/2019, establishing a comprehensive protection regime for trade secrets.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://www.lexology.com/commentary/intellectual-property/argentina/obligado-cia/trade-secrets-in-unfair-competition-legislation
- https://web.archive.org/web/20230313220147/https://www.argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/ley-11179-16546/actualizacion
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231212171323/https://www.argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/ley-24766-41094/texto
- https://web.archive.org/web/20240714084904/https://www.argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/decreto-274-2019-322236
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ARGENTINA
Since December 2020
Pillar Telecom infrastructure & competition |
Indicator Passive infrastructure sharing obligation
Passive Infrastructure Sharing Regulation (Reglamento de Compartición de Infraestructura Pasiva)
There is an obligation for passive infrastructure sharing to deliver telecom services to end users. The sharing of passive infrastructure is regulated by different rules, among which the Passive Infrastructure Sharing Regulation, approved as an Annex to Resolution No. 105/2020 of the former Secretariat of Public Innovation, stands out. Moreover, passive infrastructure sharing is practised in the mobile and fixed sectors.
Coverage Telecommunications sector
ARGENTINA
Since November 2016
Since February 2017
Since February 2017
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
Law No. 27.328 - Law on Contracts between the State and Private Investors (Ley No. 27.328 de Contratos de Participación Público - Privada)
Decree No. 118 of 2017 – Regulations of Act No. 27,328 (Decreto No. 118 de 2017 - Reglamentación de la Ley No. 27.328)
Decree No. 118 of 2017 – Regulations of Act No. 27,328 (Decreto No. 118 de 2017 - Reglamentación de la Ley No. 27.328)
According to Art. 12 of Law No. 27,328, tender documents and other contractual documentation for public-private partnership contracts must require the goods and services supplied in the execution of the project to contain at least 33% national content. Under Decree No. 118 of 2017, the national component comprises qualifying national goods and services supplied by national enterprises, namely enterprises registered and effectively operating in Argentina whose administrative body is predominantly domiciled in the country. The Executive may exceptionally limit or waive the requirement for a particular project through a reasoned decision.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since August 2000
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Other limitations on foreign participation in public procurement
MSMEs Development Law No. 25.300 (Ley de Fomento para la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa No. 25.300)
Argentina gives preference to MSMEs in public procurement procedures through the Compremipyme Programme. Under Art. 39 of Law No. 25.300, establishing the Programme, the jurisdictions and entities of the national public sector should apply a 5% preference right to tenders from MSMEs supplying goods or services produced in the country for purposes of comparing them with the best tender and awarding the goods or services contract to such enterprises. The Programme also stipulates a minimum preference rate of 10% in tenders or bids for the procurement of goods and services in which only MSMEs are competing. Furthermore, Art. 40 authorises the Executive to consider partial bids in order to facilitate and increase the participation of MSMEs in tenders and bids for the procurement of goods and services in quantities in line with their scale of production.
Coverage Horizontal
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231202221727/https://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/60000-64999/64244/texact.htm
- https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/WT/TPR/S412R1.pdf&Open=True
- https://www.globaltradealert.org/state-act/30882/argentina-imposition-of-local-content-in-public-procurement
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ARGENTINA
N/A
Pillar Public procurement of ICT goods and online services |
Indicator Signatory of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) with coverage of the most relevant services sectors (CPC 752, 754, 84)
Lack of participation in the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)
Argentina is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 1997.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since July 2003
Since December 2014, as amended in December 2015
Since December 2014, as amended in December 2015
Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade |
Indicator Maximum foreign equity share
Law No. 25.750 of Preservation of Cultural Property and Heritage (Ley No. 25.750 de Preservación de Bienes y Patrimonios Culturales)
Law No. 27.078 of Argentina Digital (Ley No. 27.078 de Argentina Digital)
Law No. 27.078 of Argentina Digital (Ley No. 27.078 de Argentina Digital)
Arts. 2 and 3 of Law No. 25.750 stipulate that foreign equity ownership in digital content producers and Internet service providers may not exceed 30%. This limit may be exceeded in the event of a reciprocity agreement. There is no definition of digital content producers in the law. In addition, Art. 13 of Law No. 27.078 provides that ENACOM (Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones, National Communications Entity) must approve any proposed changes to shareholdings or partnership interests in companies in this sector if such changes would affect the control of the company.
Coverage Digital content producers and Internet service providers
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20231214200433/https://www.argentina.gob.ar/normativa/nacional/ley-25750-86632/texto
- https://web.archive.org/web/20230304030336/https://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/235000-239999/239771/texact.htm
- https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/WT/TPR/S412R1.pdf&Open=True
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ARGENTINA
Since April 2006
Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade |
Indicator Maximum foreign equity share
Act No. 26.092 - Argentine Company of Satellite Solutions (Ley No. 26.092 - Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales)
Art. 7 of Act No. 26.092 stipulates that 98% of the shareholding in the Argentine Company of Satellite Solutions (ARSAT) shall be allocated to the Ministry of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services, while the remaining 2% shall correspond to the Ministry of Economy and Production. Pursuant to Art. 7 of the Annex, Class A shares shall be held by the national government, and these shares may not be transferred except with the authorisation of a statute enacted by Congress, as they embody the State’s controlling interest. Consequently, 51% of the shares are designated as Class A and are State-owned, whereas the remainder could, in principle, be admitted to public trading. Reports indicate that ARSAT intends to undertake a public offering of shares to divest 49% of the company’s equity to the private sector; however, as of 2025, this has not yet materialised.
Coverage Telecommunications sector
ARGENTINA
Since March 1984, last amended in March 2024
Pillar Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade |
Indicator Nationality/residency requirement for directors or managers
Law No. 19,550 - Corporations Law (Ley General de Sociedades No. 19.550)
According to Art. 256 of the Corporations Law, the majority of the board members of all companies must be residents of Argentina. In addition, all directors must establish a special domicile for the purposes of notification.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
Since May 1995
Pillar Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) |
Indicator Practical or legal restrictions related to the application process for patents
Law No. 24.481 on Patents for Inventions and Utility Models (Ley No. 24.481 de Patentes de Invención y Modelos de Utilidad)
Art. 3 of the "Law on Patents for Inventions and Utility Models" stipulates that the industrial property rights governed by this legislation may be acquired by natural or legal persons, whether domestic or foreign, provided they possess either an actual or a registered domicile within the country. In addition, Art. 69 prescribes that, in all applications, the applicant is required to establish a legal domicile within the national territory and to notify the National Patent Administration of any subsequent changes thereto.
Coverage Horizontal
ARGENTINA
ITA signatory?
I
II
Pillar Tariffs and trade defence measures applied on ICT goods |
Indicator Effective tariff rate on ICT goods (applied weighted average)
Effective tariff rate to ICT goods (applied weighted average)
7.7%
Coverage rate of zero-tariffs on ICT goods (%)
38.46%
Coverage: ICT goods
Sources
- http://wits.worldbank.org/WITS/
- https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/brief_ita_e.htm#:~:text=ITA%20participants%3A%20Australia%3B%20Bahrain%3B,%3B%20Jordan%3B%20Korea%2C%20Rep.
- https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/ita20years_2017_full_e.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220120054410/https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2016/april/tradoc_154430.pdf
- https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/inftec_e/itscheds_e.htm
