In Mexico a trademark application is filed with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). Applications must be filed on paper and are then examined, within a couple of months of the filing date, by one person who conducts a first examination on formalities. If, and when, this first examination is satisfied, a substantive examination is made to determine whether the trademark is registrable from a distinctive standpoint, or if there are prior trademark applications or registrations that would constitute antecedents and obstacles to the registration.