News

ANVISA approves proposal to simplify the import of cannabidiol-based products On January 22, 2020, the board of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) approved a proposal to simplify the procedure for importing cannabidiol-based products for personal use. Despite the simplification, the requirement of evidencing the effective need for the drug persists. The registration requires a (...)

Bill of Law No. 5497/19 intends to extend the deadline for mandatory commercial exhibition of Brazilian films in theaters until 2031. The federal deputy Marcelo Calero presented the Bill of Law No. 5497/19, which extends the term of mandatory commercial exhibition of Brazilian cinematographic works, commonly known as “screen quota”, until 2031. According to the (...)

THE BPTO’S PLAN TO TACKLE BACKLOG REACHES PROMISING RESULTS IN REDUCING THE TIME FOR A FINAL DECISION ON PATENT APPLICATIONS The plan to tackle the BPTO’s patent backlog (in force since August 1st, 2019) has shown excellent results. According to Dr. Liane Lage (BPTO’s patent director), there has been a reduction in the time to (...)

BPTO PUBLISHES TECHNICAL NOTE ON ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE FOR INDUSTRIAL DESIGN APPLICATIONS On January 7th, 2020, the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) published Technical Note No. 01/2019, from the Standing Committee on Improvement of Trademark, Industrial Design and Geographical Indications Procedures and Guidelines (CPAPD), as foreseen in Article 14 of the BPTO’s Ordinance No. 491/19, (...)

ANVISA approves sale of cannabidiol-based drugs, but vetoes its cultivation in Brazil On December 3rd, 2019, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) approved the registration and production of cannabis-based drugs on national territory, but vetoed the proposal for growing the plant exclusively for medicinal and scientific purposes. The regulation will come into force 90 days (...)

BPTO executes an Enhanced Partnership Agreement with EPO The presidents of the Brazilian Patent Office (“BPTO”), Claudio Vilar Furtado, and the European Patent Office  (“EPO”), Antonio Campinos, executed, on November 26, 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on an Enhanced Technical and Strategic Partnership, aiming at strengthening the relationship between both Offices in connection with patent (...)

BPTO and WIPO are developing a platform to enable negotiation of green technologies The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are developing projects within the framework of WIPO GREEN, an online platform that connects those who supply and those who seek green technologies. Through said platform, inventors and (...)

BPTO merges PPH agreements and extends possibility of fast-tracking to all technological fields On October 22, 2019, the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) published Resolution No. 252, which merges the rules of all the current Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot projects, and extends the project to all technological fields. The Resolution will come into (...)