Quevedo & Ponce - Noticias Legales
Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (ETG) in Ecuador: Protecting Tradition with Legal Recognition
- June 10th, 2025
- Quevedo & Ponce
Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (ETG) are a legal category within Ecuador’s intellectual property framework, aimed at protecting agri-food products whose composition or method of preparation is based on traditional practices passed down through generations. Unlike Designations of Origin or Geographical Indications, ETGs do not require a specific territorial link; rather, their legal value is founded on authenticity and the continuity of cultural tradition.
The purpose of this legal recognition is to preserve Ecuador’s cultural and gastronomic heritage, reinforce national identity, and enable legitimate product differentiation in the market. In addition, ETGs provide effective protection against imitation, misuse, and acts of unfair competition.
ETGs are regulated under the Organic Code of the Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation (Código de Ingenios). This legal framework allows for the registration of agricultural or food products with at least thirty years of documented tradition in their preparation or composition. The registration grants the holder the exclusive right to use the “ETG” designation, as well as access to legal remedies for the protection of their product in the marketplace.
The registration process is managed by the National Service for Intellectual Rights (SENADI), in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and, where applicable, with the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (INPC) for products linked to intangible heritage.
Since 2017, Ecuador has officially recognized the following Traditional Specialties Guaranteed:
- Bizcocho de Cayambe (Cayambe)
- Cascaritas (Azogues)
- Ceviche de canchalagua (Galápagos)
- Chugchucaras (Latacunga)
- Tamal lojano (Loja)
- Mote pata (Cuenca)
- Sango de verde (Machala)
- Encanutado de bocachico (Quevedo)
- Encebollado (Esmeraldas)
- Cocada negra (Esmeraldas)
These products represent the richness and diversity of Ecuadorian cuisine. Their ETG status guarantees authenticity, safeguards the ancestral knowledge behind their preparation, and fosters fair and sustainable economic development in local communities.
At Quevedo & Ponce, we provide expert legal counsel in intellectual property, cultural heritage, and collective rights. Our team supports clients through every stage of the ETG application, registration, and enforcement process before SENADI.
Más Artículos
Intellectual Property, International Harmonization, and the Role of Customs: The Philco Case as a Warning for Export-Oriented Companies
The use of trademarks in cross-border manufacturing operations poses significant legal risks, as evidenced by the Philco case in Brazil. This article analyzes how the unauthorized use of a trademark during manufacturing — even when the products are intended for export — may activate judicial and customs actions. Focusing the impact of the territoriality principle and the need for an international legal strategy.
New Regulation on Communal and Savings Funds Strengthens Local Financing and Financial Inclusion
The Financial Policy and Regulation Board of Ecuador issued Resolution No. JPRF-F-2025-0154, which reforms the legal framework for community savings and loan funds. The regulation seeks to strengthen local financing and financial inclusion, particularly in rural and urban-marginal areas. Among its provisions, it requires that these funds are established as legal entities, obtaining authorization from the Superintendency of Popular and Solidarity Economy (SEPS), and operate exclusively among individuals with common purposes. In addition, it sets asset limits, imposes restrictions on advertising and branch offices, and establishes transparency and corporate governance obligations.
Asset Regulation for Travelers under the Organic Law for the Prevention, Detection, and Eradication of Money Laundering and Crime Financing.
Starting July 29th, the National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) is implementing a new mandatory requirement for travelers: the online declaration of values exceeding USD 10,000, in compliance with the Organic Law for the Prevention, Detection, and Eradication of Money Laundering and Crime Financing. This regulation aims to reinforce transparency and combat illicit activities in capital movements.
New Regulation for the Calculation of Fines in the Field of Personal Data Protection
The Superintendence for the Protection of Personal Data (SPDP) has issued the Regulation for the Application of the Methodology for the Calculation of Fines in the Administrative Sanctioning Regime, along with the Models for Calculating the Amount of Administrative Fines. This regulation complements the Organic Law on the Protection of Personal Data (LOPDP) and its General Regulation (RLOPDP), strengthening the sanctioning framework and its practical application in Ecuador.
Corporate Transformation and Sports Corporations: Comply with the National Solidarity Law
The new Regulation to the National Solidarity Law mandates that Simplified Stock Corporations (S.A.S.) operating in strategic sectors—such as mining, finance, insurance, telecommunications, energy, or biodiversity—must take urgent actions: either convert into another permitted corporate form, amend their bylaws to exclude such activities or voluntarily dissolve within a six-month period. Furthermore, the Regulation introduces a clear legal framework for the figure of the Sports Corporation (Sociedad Anónima Deportiva – S.A.D.), established exclusively for conducting professional sports activities.
