1 June 2012Patents

Brazil and Europe sign bilateral patent deal

European individuals and companies will find it easier to apply for patents in Brazil after a bilateral deal was signed on April 12, 2012.

Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the European Patent Office (EPO) agreed to exchange patent documents in English and Portuguese. These documents will be freely translated on the EPO’s website.

EPO president Benoît Battistelli said the translation service will disclose large amounts of technical information that inventors, scientists and engineers in both regions can freely use.

The closer relationship follows an increase in the number of European companies filing patents in Brazil. From 2010 to 2011, the number of French applications increased by 7.7 percent, while those from German companies rose by 14 percent. According to Battistelli, Europeans are some of the most active users of Brazil’s patent system, currently accounting for 38 percent of all applications.

The offices expect European filings at INPI to increase and Brazilians to step up their use of the EPO.

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