A WIPO Project of 10 Million Dollars to Modernize the Brazilian Patent Office

Geneva, June 24, 1998
Press Updates UPD/1998/22

In 1997, a cooperation Agreement was signed between the Brazilian Government and WIPO. The first year of this five-year project has been successfully concluded and the second year's program will soon begin. This project is fully financed by the Brazilian Government and administered by WIPO, with a budget of 10 million US dollars and is the largest technical cooperation project administered by WIPO. It reflects the confidence the Brazilian Government places in WIPO. This ambitious project, necessary for the modernization of the INPI, focuses on three main areas: automation of the Institute, improvement of management techniques and staff training. The project establishes the basis for the implementation of a modern work flow system for processing applications and providing services.

Brazil is a federal republic divided into 26 states which centralizes its industrial property matters in one institution, the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), created in 1970. The Institute's office is located in Rio de Janeiro, occupies 19 floors of a 23-story building and is responsible for processing all patent and trademark applications and technology transfer contracts in Brazil.

There is a long-standing and strong relationship between Brazil and WIPO. The country is party to nine of the treaties administered by WIPO, a founding member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and an active participant in many WIPO meetings. It is also a member of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and an active participant in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) initiative, where negotiations on intellectual property matters are taking place.

In the last few years, Brazil has taken important steps to modernize its intellectual property system. Between 1996 and 1998, its National Congress adopted four new laws: on industrial property, copyright, computer software and new plant varieties. Although Brazil was considered a model patent office in Latin America, it was felt that INPI's information systems needed modernizing.

This project is part of a large and diversified program of cooperation between Brazil and WIPO-not only the administration of the above-mentioned project for INPI but also the support of activities aimed at promoting the protection of intellectual property including, inter alia, innovation and disseminating information on intellectual property nation wide. Moreover, training courses on industrial property are regularly organized jointly by WIPO and INPI for officials from other developing countries.

For more detailed information, please contact Ms. Patricia Simão, Consultant, Cooperation for Development Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, WIPO: