Brazil joins int’l patent and trademark network

Brazil’s National Industrial Property Institute (INPI) on Tuesday (Sep 3) signed a deal with the Danish Patent and Trademark Office a deal to join online business platform IP Marketplace.

The agreement was inked at the opening ceremony of the 11 Academic Meeting on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development, in Rio de Janeiro.

INPI President Cláudio Vilar Furtado told Agência Brasil that all world authorities tasked with patent grants, trademark registration, and other assets linked to industrial property—like software and geographic indications—have been allowed to grant property rights by the state.

This enables inventors, companies, and universities to enjoy economic benefits stemming from the exploration of these rights by a given number of years.

IP Marketplace is also a collaboration platform for inventors across the world, who can become acquainted with innovations in their fields of knowledge, meet researchers and help with the development of new intellectual property, also as partners and co-owners.

A display window

“It’s a huge step. It’s like turning a notary’s office into a real estate agency, where business is made,” Cláudio Furtado said.

He said negotiations are not so frequent or bulky, but the platform is expected to change this scenario. “The first thing for those planning to buy and sell is learning about a product. And Brazilian trademarks and patents may be seen by other inventors online, who may be interested in using its intellectual property.”

IP Marketplace is a website that functions as a display window with trademarks, patents, and industrial designs. Today, some 6 thousand users across 157 countries are registered. Participation is free of cost and the platform is open to companies, universities, and the public at large.

Furtado noted that scientists, companies, and research institutes in Brazil may visit the platform own their own, but it will be INPI’s job to facilitate access. “If business comes up between them, INPI won’t interfere, but merely register the negotiations, because it’s the agency in Brazil with the credentials to grant access.”

Joint development

President Furtado today finished the final terms of a deal with the Danish embassy allowing the two countries to join efforts in such economic areas as services, health care, clinical testing, clean energy and even food and agribusiness, seen as crucial for Brazil.

The deal is expected to bring agencies working with scientific and technological research in both countries to be brought closer together. The document will be signed in the second week of October during a visit of the INPI head to Denmark.