On April 3, 2025, Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the European Patent Office (EPO) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reaffirming their strategic partnership for another five years. This agreement reinforces both offices’ commitment to improving the quality, efficiency, and international alignment of patent examinations in Brazil.
The renewed collaboration aims to strengthen Brazil’s innovation ecosystem and foster international trade and investment by aligning patent procedures and promoting best practices in intellectual property management.
Improving Patent Examination Efficiency in Brazil
A key focus of the agreement is to improve the quality and speed of patent examination in Brazil by leveraging the results of the EPO’s prior work on equivalent filings. The INPI will make use of EPO search and examination results to streamline national procedures, especially for second filing applications.
The EPO will also provide the INPI with technical training, legal guidance, and digital tools to support more consistent, transparent, and internationally harmonized practices in Brazil’s national patent system.
Promoting Innovation and Technology Transfer in Brazil
The agreement includes a strong emphasis on promoting the strategic use of patents as tools to stimulate innovation, commercialization, and technology transfer in Brazil. By improving access to patent data and enhancing examiner expertise, the partnership is expected to benefit inventors, companies, and research institutions operating in Brazil.
At Moeller IP, we welcome this renewed collaboration as a positive step toward a more agile and robust patent system in Brazil. With offices in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay, we work closely with clients across the region to ensure that their innovations are protected under globally aligned and locally effective IP frameworks.
We will continue to monitor the implementation of this agreement and provide updates on how it may benefit international applicants filing in Brazil. For direct assistance, feel free to reach out to us at hello@moellerip.com or visit our contact page: https://moellerip.com/contact/