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Ecuador is in an advanced process of liberalization of its telecommunications market, in which competition rules already apply. However, the access to the last mile is owned by the state owned incumbent, CNT.

Amendments to the Criminal Code in 2013 decriminalized some intellectual property violations. Ecuador’s lack of controls and criminal penalties has led to increased copyright piracy and counterfeiting.

The Law on Intellectual Property does not provide for the notion of fair use/fair dealing. It only lists a small number of acts which do not require authorization by the copyright owner.

The government's current policy is to favor those companies which invest in Ecuador by assigning their patents to local national companies or companies domiciled and producing in Ecuador.

Patent fees have increased by about 3600%, going from USD 260 to USD 43,692 in the case of patentability examination fee and from USD 570 to over USD 20,500 in the case of final year fee.

There is also a potential discount of up to 90% to SMEs, universities legally recognized in the country, independent inventors and public institutions.

It is reported that Ecuador’s government failed to respect the outcome of two court decisions in 2011 and 2012 that ruled in favor of a U.S. provider of telecom services.

Articles 313-315 of the 2008 Constitution establish that the state is responsible for management of “strategic sectors” through state-owned or controlled companies. These strategic sectors include: telecommunications and media. According to the authorities, this implies that the State reserves the right of planning, decision making and investment modalities for these sectors.

Executive Decree 1014 made Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) mandatory for public administration.

Ecuador is not a signatory to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement.

Ecuador's Public Procurement Law establishes several exceptions from its general application. Article 34 of the Public Procurement Law allows public enterprises to follow special procurement rules, provided that the National Public Procurement Service (SERCOP) issues an open-ended authorization for purchases considered within “the nature of the enterprise". This enables public enterprises broad flexibility to make procurements with reduced oversight.

Bidding on government procurement can be cumbersome and non-transparent. The lack of transparency creates opportunities for manipulation by procuring entities. For example,enables public enterprises broad flexibility to make procurements with reduced oversight. Moreover, foreign bidders must register and have a local legal representative in order to participate in government tenders.

Various provisions in Ecuador's Public Procurement Laws stipulate preferences for domestic suppliers and discriminate against foreign firms. Foreign suppliers can compete for public procurements, but Ecuador requires that preferential treatment be given to locally produced goods, especially those produced by the constitutionally created “social and solidarity economy” (i.e. an alternative economic model based on principles of solidarity, participation, cooperation, reciprocity), as well as micro and small enterprises.
The Ecuadorian Constitution stipulates in Article 288 the "prioritization of domestic products and services in public procurement". Moreover, the National Procurement System Organic Law establishes as one of its aims to be a "dynamic element of production" (Article 9) and it also states that "specifications of a public procurement will contain evaluation points that encourage national or local participation, by a preferential margin, for suppliers' works, goods and services, including consultancy, according to the parameters set by the Ministry of Industry and Competitiveness" (Article 25).

Ecuador's Comex Resolution 023 establishes a fixed USD 42 tax on imported internet purchases (for private and not commercial purposes) in the the "4×4 category", which allows the import of a maximum of 4kg with a value of 400 USD per person. Purchases that exceed the limited amount will be taxed for all the products.

Physical presence is not needed for .cr or .co.cr domains. However, for all other levels such as ( .ed.cr, .fi.cr, .go.cr, .or.cr, .sa.cr) physical presence in Costa Rica is required.