From December 1, 2019, Brazilian PTO begins the expansion of the
Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) system to all technology fields,
unifying its rules.
The change aims to simplify procedures for both the user and the
PTO and expand the potential of these agreements, which prioritize
patent processing and reduce examination steps, helping to speed up
the process. On average, considering the patents analyzed via PPH
in Brazil in 2019, the concession period is eight months and may
reach only one month.
Under PPH agreements, the examination of a patent application
can be prioritized in Brazil when it has already been evaluated at
a participating national/regional office of the agreement.
Similarly, if an application has already been reviewed in Brazil,
it may be expedited in the other country with which the INPI has a
PPH agreement.
