Brasília – The Senate’s Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) approves a bill aimed at reducing patent examination timelines and modernizing procedures at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), as part of broader efforts to tackle backlog and improve efficiency in Brazil’s innovation system. The proposal (PL 4,972/2019), sponsored by Senator Confúcio Moura and reported by Senator Renan Calheiros, now moves to the Science and Technology Committee for further analysis.

The bill introduces significant procedural changes, including reducing the confidentiality period for patent applications from 18 to 12 months, shortening the deadline to request examination from 36 to 18 months, and cutting response times to INPI requirements to 30 days. It also mandates that INPI reinvest its revenues into its own operations, aiming to enhance capacity and reduce delays in patent processing.

Source: Agência Senado