The Action Plan 2026 recently published by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) sets out strategic objectives aimed at enhancing the quality and the speed of the granting and registration of industrial property rights.
One of its key targets is to achieve an average timeframe of 3.5 years for decisions in patents, counted from the filing date with the BPTO. According to data released by the Office, the current average examination time is approximately 4.3 years, and this figure has been steadily decreasing over the last years.
To reach this goal, the Plan outlines several initiatives, including the e-Patents 4.0 project, which introduces “Smart Filing” for the automatic verification of formal requirements; further development of the integrated patent workflow automation system (BPMS); and the expansion of the use of Artificial Intelligence to aid patent classification and prior art searches.
Our firm has been closely monitoring these improvements, which we believe will contribute to a more streamlined processing of patent applications and greater predictability within the Brazilian patent landscape.