INPI Brazil reaches PCT-PPH application limit in 2024

On 7 March, Brazil's National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) announced that it will not accept new applications for the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme in 2024. This decision is because the INPI has reached the limit of 100 applications per annual cycle to participate in Phase IV of the PPH pilot project.

The PCT-PPH allows an applicant who has received a Written Opinion or International Preliminary Examination from one of the PCT-PPH participating Offices (which has acted as an International Authority) to request that the corresponding national phase application be accelerated, thereby speeding up the examination procedure and reducing costs.

SMEs will need to consider other strategies to speed up the examination process and protect their innovations in the country. To find out more about administrative and legal actions that can help accelerate a patent application in Brazil, we recommend our factsheet Patent acceleration in Brazil.