New agreement between Chile and Brazil to promote the use of the PCT

Starting on August 1, 2023, National Institute of Industrial Property Ministry of Economy (INAPI) will be one of the International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) offices that Brazilian applicants can choose for the processing of patents via Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and likewise, National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI) can operate as ISA/IPEA for Chilean applicants or those domiciled in Chile.

During the General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held in Geneva, Switzerland, in July, the National Director of INAPI, and the Acting President of the INPI, signed a cooperation agreement regarding the services provided by both offices in their roles as International Authorities of the PCT.

In this way, the institutions have mutually designated each other to act as ISA/IPEA for PCT for their respective nationals.

This announcement further solidifies the international work of both INAPI and INPI since they are currently the only two patent offices in Latin America that hold the status of ISA/IPEA. It also strengthens the services provided by INAPI in both Spanish and English, which are used by patent applicants from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago.