Argentina's Patent Office Updates Guidelines to Support Biotechnology Innovation

By Estudio Chaloupka

Argentina's National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the government agency responsible for patent and trademark administration, approved a new resolution on July 1, 2026, updating its patenting guidelines for biotechnology-related inventions. The measure, known as Resolution 197/2026, repeals a previous rule, Resolution 283/2015, and revises the criteria patent examiners use when evaluating biotechnology-related patent applications.

According to the announcement, the new resolution eases certain rules specifically affecting agricultural biotechnology patents. The stated goal is to restore clearer, more predictable criteria for protecting technological developments in this field, with the intention of creating conditions more favorable to research, investment, and innovation — particularly in agriculture and other knowledge-based sectors that Argentina considers strategic to its economy.

For readers unfamiliar with the general concept: a patent guideline of this kind sets out the technical and legal standards that a national patent office applies when deciding whether an invention qualifies for protection. In biotechnology specifically, these standards often address complex questions such as how much detail an application must include, or what kinds of genetic or biological material can be patented.

Per the announcement, the previous requirements had, in practice, created obstacles to protecting certain biotechnological inventions in Argentina. The new resolution removes some of those requirements, which authorities say aligns the country's patent system more closely with internationally recognized intellectual property standards.

For an international audience, this update is relevant primarily to companies, universities, and research institutions working in agricultural biotechnology or related fields that may seek patent protection in Argentina, since it changes the practical criteria examiners will use when reviewing such applications going forward.