On April 4, 2019, the Brazilian House of Representatives approved the legislative decree that dictates that Brazil adheres to the Madrid Protocol, which regulates international trademark application. The bill now will be analysed by the Brazilian Senate.

The Madrid Protocol gives trademark owners the possibility of having their trademarks protected in several countries at once by filing one application directly with their own national or regional trademark institute, and selecting additional countries it wishes to extend protection to.

The approval of the Madrid Protocol would be a greater ease of international expansion of Brazilian services and products abroad, and vice-versa, since 120 countries are part of the Madrid Protocol, which represents more than 80 % of world trade.

In parallel to the development of the bill in the Brazilian Congress, the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) works to modernize its infrastructure in order to comply with the deadlines and procedures demanded from the countries that have signed the protocol. According to the BPTO’s own publication in December 2018, besides the possibility to receive and send international trademark applications via the Madrid System, it is working on the adoption of a multiclass trademark application system and of a trademark co-ownership.

For more information on trademarks and other Intellectual Property assets, do not hesitate to contact us.