Brazil to fast-track sports related design applications ahead of Olympics

The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (INPI) will fast track design applications for sporting goods to coincide with the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Yesterday, June 21, the INPI published rule number 167/2016, which allows examinations for industrial designs relating to sporting goods to be fast-tracked.

The Olympic and Paralympic games start on August 5 in Rio de Janeiro and the INPI has had more than 10,000 design applications related to sporting goods.

A request for an accelerated examination must be filed before June 30. A decision about whether the application should be fast-tracked will then be issued within three days.

Gabriel Di Blasi, managing partner at Di Blasi, Parente & Associados, told WIPR: “This new resolution is comparable to action the INPI has taken in the past and shows the flexibility in policy to get things accomplished and protect intellectual property rights in Brazil.”

“Mega events like the Olympic and Paralympic Games present challenges for protecting IP, and by providing a path to expedite examination for applications related to the events, Brazil is showing its commitment to getting things done.”

Rejected fast-track requests will be published in the INPI’s official gazette and cannot be appealed against.