A recent lawsuit in Brazil annulled 176 trademarks registered by a local company. The reason: the registrations were not used for their activities, but rather as a “trademark bank” for future commercialization. The illegal practice targets foreign trademarks with market potential in the country.

One of the biggest impacts is on trademark registrations. Significant changes are coming to Brazil’s intellectual property (IP) fees, bringing both challenges and new opportunities.

Brazil, possessing one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet, maintains an intellectual property regime that reflects its concern with the protection of Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge. Consequently, for foreign researchers and companies engaged in biotechnology, a thorough understanding of local requirements is essential for successful innovation protection. In this regard, we have outlined key considerations below.