News

The BPTO granted on June 12 the Geographical Indication (GI) registration, for the socol product, a pork sausage produced by descendants of Italian immigrants in the area of Venda Nova do Imigrante (ASSOCOL), in the state of Espirito Santo.
The grant was published in the BPTO’s official Bulletin No. 2475 on behalf of Association of Socol Producers of Venda Nova do Imigrante (ASSOCOL).
The name socol is related to the traditional form of production of the sausage: tied in strips that refer to the vertebrae of the pig’s neck, it was called “so colli”, which, in the dialect of Veneto, the Italian region of origin of many immigrants, is how they called the bones of the neck. Over time, in Brazil, the name of the product was derived for socol.
Currently produced with pork loin, salt, black pepper and garlic, socol not only rescues the culture of immigrants, but also values the traditional know-how of the product. Produced initially for the families’ own consumption, it has gradually become a profitable activity and is considered one of the symbols of local culture and identity, stimulating even agrotourism.
The area to be considered as an indication of origin is located in the northeastern part of the city of Venda Nova do Imigrante, located in the State of Espirito Santo, covering the following regions: Alto Bananeiras, Bananeiras, Lavrinhas, Sede, Tapera, Alto Tapera, Santo Antonio da Serra and Providence.
*Translated and adapted from the BPTO’s official web page. The official publication can be found here

The pilot project STI Patents entered its second phase, which will receive up to 100 requests for priority examination. By the initiative, it is possible to prioritize the examination of patent applications filef by Science and Technology Institutions (STIs).
The purpose of the BPTO with the project is to stimulate and facilitate the insertion in the market of innovative products and services developed by STIs.
Each applicant may request the entry of one application per month, except in the last month of the project.
This phase will be active up to May 31, 2019, according to official notice published by the BPTO in its official bulletin nº 2473, of May 29, 2018.
*translated and adapted from the BPTO’s official web page

The BPTO made available in its official page the regulations for the use of geographical indications by region from Brazil and abroad. The initiative is part of the BPTO’s Action Plan for 2018, which provides for the implementation of measures that promote the Institute’s operational efficiency.
Access can be made directly through the Basic Geographical Indication (GI) Guide, in step “2. Prepare the documentation.” In this new space, the user may have access to the regulation corresponding to their GI registration, either in the indication of origin or in the designation of origin.
Currently, there are 66 regulations for the use of geographical indications registered in the BPTO, national and foreign. New records of geographical indications will be soon announced by the institute. The complete regulation can be found here (In Portuguese).
*Translated and adapted from the BPTO’s official webpage. For the original publication (in Portuguese) click here

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot project with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will enter in its second phase, beginning from May 10, 2018, to April 30, 2020. The measure was published in the BPTO’s official Bulletin nº 2470, last Tuesday (May 8th).
The area of information technology was included in the project, besides technologies already contemplated (oil, gas, and petrochemical).
The current phase will also allow 50 patent applications to be included in the priority list of PPH from the preliminary opinion obtained by the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
During the period of its validity, a total of 200 applications will be accepted in each country. The applicant may require one PPH application per month, except during the last 30 days of the program.
By PPH, Brazilians can use the result of the examination of the patent application in the BPTO to accelerate the analysis in the United States and vice versa. Upon entering the program, the BPTO has issued a final decision in 180 days, on average.
*Translated and adapted from the BPTO’s official webpage. The original publication (in Portuguese) can be found here

Representatives from the Brazilian PTO attended a meeting with the general director of the Russian Federal Office for Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT) to discuss the next steps of cooperation between the two offices in the field of industrial property.

The meeting took place on April 17, during the “International Conference 1.0 on Digital Transformation: Intellectual Property and Blockchain Technologies”, held in the Russian capital.

During the meeting, a work plan for 2018 was defined, which includes actions such as the access to the Russian patent base and the PatSearch search tool; the introduction to ROSPATENT of BPTO’s computer program registration system; the ROSPATENT delegation visit to the BPTO for exchange of information on patent examination; the realization of bilateral meetings to exchange experiences and discussions on specific IP issues; and the participation of BPTO in ROSPATENT’s event.

The two offices also discussed topics related to internal management, second instance administrative jurisprudence and quality evaluation in the examination activities of the two offices, as well as topics related to the international IP system.

It is important to note that the cooperation in IP between Brazil and Russia was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on November 23, 2017, at the BPTO headquarters, during a visit of ROSPATENT’s general director.

*Translated and adapted from the BPTO’s official webpage. The original publication can be found here