(BRPTO’s gazette of December 27, 2022)
2023 starts with new ordinances in force to accelerate patents and patent applications’ examination.
Ordinance #78/2022: Phase IV of the PPH program – PCT
Ordinance #78/2022, which implements Phase IV of the BRPTO’s PPH program, adds some changes in this new phase, the most significant being the increase in the number of applications per IPC Section to 250 per section per year. The ordinance maintains: (i) only one PPH request acceptable per applicant per week; (ii) 800 requests as the maximum accepted in the program per year, and (iii) 100 PPH requests as the maximum accepted based on a positive opinion of an International Authority in the International phase. Said ordinance, valid until December 31, 2025, is available on the BRPTO’s website, and its original version (in Portuguese) can be downloaded here.