Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) have extended their Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program through 2029.
The agreement, signed on September 22 in Rio de Janeiro, also included discussions on deepening bilateral cooperation in patent matters. The signing coincided with the 17th Meeting of BRICS Intellectual Property Office Presidents, attended by INPI President Júlio César Moreira and CNIPA Vice Commissioner Lu Pengqi, among other officials.
The PPH allows applicants in Brazil to leverage the results of their patent examinations at INPI to accelerate processing in China—and vice versa—helping reduce both time and costs. Brazil currently participates in the global PPH network, which includes 35 partner offices.