Ecuador and the Netherlands Strengthen customs control and Intellectual Property protection

The new Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters between Ecuador and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, published in the Second Supplement of the Official Register No. 63 (June 19, 2025), strengthens efforts to combat smuggling, counterfeiting, and commercial fraud. Through information exchange and coordinated surveillance mechanisms, it also reinforces the protection of intellectual property rights, benefiting authorities, operators, and rights holders.
Lease Agreements in Ecuador: Legal Requirements for Formalization and Registration

In Ecuador, lease agreements can be verbal or written, but the law requires a formal contract before a notary if the monthly rent exceeds the unified basic salary. Knowing these legal conditions is essential to protect both landlords and tenants and avoid legal risks.
Ecuador and the New Law on Intelligence: Toward a Safer or More Surveilled State?

Ecuador has taken a decisive step by enacting the new Organic Law on Intelligence, which aims to strengthen the State’s capacity to combat organized crime and threats to national sovereignty. However, the legal framework adopted raises serious concerns from a constitutional and human rights perspective.
Has your company remedied the grounds for dissolution? you may request its exclusion from the massive resolution and to continue operating legally.

The Companies Act allows to request the exclusion of a company from a massive dissolution resolution if the grounds for dissolution have been remedied and the resolution has not been registered before the Mercantile Registry. This alternative avoids to initiate a reactivation process and enables the company to maintain its legal standing. This article explains the circumstances under which this option may be exercised and the requirements that must be complied.
Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (ETG) in Ecuador: Protecting Tradition with Legal Recognition

Within the framework of Ecuador’s intellectual property system, Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSG) represents a strategic legal mechanism for the protection of agri-food products with proven cultural value and traditional heritage. This tool provides official recognition of the authenticity of traditional production methods, without requiring a specific territorial link.
Arbitration in Ecuador: An Effective Alternative for Dispute Resolution

Arbitration in Ecuador is an effective alternative for resolving disputes, highlighting benefits such as celerity, confidentiality, and the ability to choose expert arbitrators, making the process more efficient and specialized than ordinary courts.
The Superintendence of Personal Data Protection (SPDP) Issues New Key Criteria on the Use of Biometric Data and the Appointment of DPOs

The Superintendency of Personal Data Protection (SPDP) has issued recent statements regarding the use of biometric data for workplace attendance control and the obligation to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) in savings and credit cooperatives. These criteria reinforce the need to protect sensitive data, require impact assessments, ensure free consent, and establish that cooperatives must immediately appoint a DPO to comply with current regulations and avoid sanctions.
Protect Your Business and Avoid Sanctions! New Legal Obligation in Contracts: Personal Data Protection Clauses

Since April 30, 2025, in Ecuador the inclusion of specific personal data protection clauses is mandatory in all contracts involving the processing of personal data pursuant to Resolution No. SPDP-SPD-2025-0006-R. This new legal requirement applies to both public and private entities and non-compliance may result in severe sanctions.
The Frisby Case: A Key Lesson in International Trademark Protection

Frisby, one of Colombia’s most popular fast-food chains, is currently facing a complex legal dispute in Europe that has garnered the attention of businesses, media, and the general public.
Extinction and Remission of Obligations before the Municipality of Quito: Scope of Metropolitan Ordinance No. 096-2025

Metropolitan Ordinance No. 096-2025 establishes a special regime in Quito for the extinction of tax and non-tax debts not exceeding one unified basic salary, and for the full remission of interest, fines, and surcharges on overdue obligations, provided certain requirements are met and payment of the capital is made by June 30, 2025. This measure aims to facilitate the economic regularization of taxpayers and local entities.