Pilot Project Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
April 20, 2016
The Patent Prosecution Highway Program (PPH), which facilitates cooperation between Brazil and the United States in patent examination, began working as a pilot on January 5, 2016. Through PPH Brazilians will be able to use the outcome of a patent application filed with the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) to expedite an examination in the United States and vice versa.
Those applicants who have undergone the examination procedure at INPI will have a response from the USPTO in about three months. INPI will accept incoming US requests only from the oil and gas industry and only for a period of two years or until each country analyzes 150 patent applications. On the other hand Brazilian companies from any technical field may deposit applications with USPTO within the two-year time frame.