Tag: Economy

Brazil and Denmark sign three agreements to stimulate innovation

Promote partnerships between Brazilians and Danes for innovation activities, including the generation and commercialization of Industrial Property assets, such as patents. This is the main objective of the three agreements signed on Monday, October 7, in Copenhagen (Denmark), by the president of the Brazilian Patent Office (BPTO), Claudio Furtado, with the director-general of the Danish Patent Office (DKPTO), Sune Stampe Sorensen, and with Danish Ambassador to Brazil, Nicolai Prytz.

According to the special secretary of Productivity, Employment and Competitiveness (SEPEC) of the Ministry of Economy, Carlos Da Costa, through the partnership with Denmark, Brazil gives a decisive impulse to expand innovation and, therefore, the competitiveness of Brazilian companies.

BPTO president, Cláudio Furtado, stressed the importance of the agreements to improve the innovation system in Brazil, as well as their positive effects on the economy. “We started a new model to improve the business environment in the country, in addition to promoting the creation and commercialization of Brazilian Intellectual Property in the world market,” he said.

The ceremony was also attended by the Brazilian ambassador in Denmark, Carlos Antonio da Rocha Paranhos. According to him, Brazil can be proud to have Denmark, one of the world leaders in innovation and intellectual property, as the first partner in a broad patent cooperation project.

New partnerships

The first agreement will encourage cooperation between companies from both countries in research, development, and innovation (RD&I). The mapping of potential participants is already being done in many regions of Brazil. One result of this work will be the creation of new patents and other Industrial Property assets in common, that is, involving two or more partners.

The second agreement will speed up the analysis of Brazilian patents in Denmark and vice versa so that these assets can be used effectively in both markets. This will be done through a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) type agreement, broader than the current one. In this PPH model, the result of patent examination done in one country can be leveraged in the other to speed up the process.

Finally, the third agreement involves the next stage of an Industrial Property asset: commercialization. It refers to the IP Marketplace, an online offering and trading platform for these assets, which was developed in Denmark and now has Brazilian adhesion. There are 6,000 registered trademark, patent and industrial design owners from 157 countries.

 

News from: BPTO

AGREEMENT: Exports will have $ 10 billion more

Much has been said about the free market agreement between Southern Common Market and the European Union and what are the impacts on the Brazilian economy. According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the deal could add nearly $ 10 billion in exports from Brazil to the EU. Negotiated for over 20 years, it represents the largest trade pact ever signed by both parties, with the creation of a market of 780 million consumers.

Brazil exported more than US $ 42 billion to the EU in 2018, approximately 18% of the total exported by the country. This means that reducing tax rates and legislation, the deal offers even greater business opportunities for domestic companies. However, the pact also underscores the need for change in the policies of national companies.

According to Rodrigo Zambon, the subregional director of TMF Group in Brazil, the deal will take some time to go into effect, giving companies the time to make adjustments. “The deal still needs to go through 28 countries, so the time to prepare your business without getting hurt is now,” he added. Check out the 5 main characteristics that must be adopted by Brazilian companies so that they can actively participate in the agreement.

FOODS

All imported food must comply with EU standards – the rules apply to all products sold in the EU, whether domestically produced or imported, so Brazilian companies need to ensure that they comply with all rules. For example: ensuring appropriate and transparent information about source, content, and labeling.

INSPECTION

Commitments on labor inspection, health, and safety at work – Companies wishing to make trade agreements in EU countries must ensure that fundamental labor rights, as defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO), are fulfilled and respected.

ENVIRONMENT

Trade agreements should not come at the expense of the environment – under the agreement, companies must promote sustainable development and agree not to lower environmental standards to promote trade and attract investment. The agreement also incorporates the so-called “precautionary principle”. If there is any suspicion of deforestation or the use of pesticides not allowed in the EU, the economic bloc can veto the importation of the Brazilian product, even when the scientific analysis is not conclusive.

PATENTS

Strong intellectual property rights provisions – Brazil has committed to updating its intellectual property law based on international standards of legislation. Examples of this strategy are the copyright section and the trademark section, which companies will have to abide by.

STANDARDIZATION

Transparency and the use of international standards – Different technical regulations and rules/standards for products from other markets can be a major obstacle for exporters because they impose extra costs for adaptation. The agreement promotes transparency and the use of international standards to facilitate market access while protecting the levels of protection that each party considers appropriate.

For Zambon, beginning to understand and implement action plans will create a competitive advantage when the deal goes into effect. “Companies that start updating their policies will now have more time to adapt and probably less costs to implement than those leaving at the last minute,” he said.

 

News from: Diário da Amazônia

After Mercosur-EU, Brazil negotiates other international trade agreements

The agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, signed at the end of June, may be the beginning of a series of new international trade treaties involving Brazil. The special secretary of Foreign Trade and International Affairs, Marcos Troyjo, recently reported that new agreements, with other countries and blocs, are under negotiation.

The countries involved are the United States, Japan, South Korea and Efta, a bloc of countries comprising Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. This block is not part of the European Union. For Troyjo, the agreement with the European Union brings a “new model of economic development and international insertion” for Brazil.

Speech aligned with that of the Foreign Minister, Ernesto Araújo, who also stressed the new vision of “international insertion” of the country. “This agreement [Mercosur-EU] unlocks and accelerates other negotiations, we intend very soon to close new agreements. I think we have the condition to close two more agreements this semester, at least”, the foreign minister said at a press conference.

He added Singapore to the list of ongoing negotiations. The minister believes that over a two-year period, the government will create a “very dense network of trade agreements with major economies, technological hubs”.

Currently, Mercosur has two free trade agreements signed with Egypt and Israel. The two already validated by Brazilian presidential decrees. Brazil has signed a free trade agreement with Chile, but the process has not yet begun. International agreements before they come into force need congressional endorsement.

According to the technical area of the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, “there is great interest in closer economic-trade ties with Japan and the United States, but there is no negotiation of a trade agreement in progress at this time”, despite what the minister said and the special secretary. All agreements under negotiation are via Mercosur.

Impact

The agreements cover several areas ranging from trade in goods and services to intellectual property, according to the ministry. Among the impacts, it is expected that, as of the closing of the agreements, it will be possible to “eliminate import tariffs for substantially all trade between the parties and reduce non-tariff barriers, generating additional increases to the Brazilian GDP.”

Countries under negotiation:

United States
  • GDP: US $ 21.06 trillion (first quarter of 2019)
  • Population: 329.2 million
  • Income per capita: US $ 59,800 (2017)
  • 1st world economy

Brazil intends to take advantage of the timeframe of the Trade Promotion Authority – a document that the US Congress grants the Executive to negotiate international agreements, valid until July 2021 – to accelerate negotiations with the United States, said Marcos Troyjo, in an interview with the BBC Brazil.

Japan
  • GDP: $ 4,873 trillion (2017)
  • Population: 126.1 million (July / 2018)
  • Income per capita: US $ 42,900 (2017)
  • 3rd world economy
South Korea
  • GDP: US $ 1.54 trillion (2017)
  • Population: 51.4 million (July / 2018)
  • Income per capita: US $ 39,500 (2017)
  • 11th world economy

Negotiations on an agreement between Mercosur and South Korea began in May 2018 and are in the initial phase. Two rounds of negotiations were held.

Canada
  • GDP: $ 1,653 trillion (2017)
  • Population: 35.8 million (July / 2018)
  • Income per capita: US $ 48,400 (2017)
  • 10th world economy

According to the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, negotiations for this agreement were announced on March 9, 2018, in Asuncion, Paraguay. The negotiations are advanced. Six negotiating rounds have already been held – the most recent in June this year.

Singapore
  • GDP: US $ 323.9 billion (2017)
  • Population: 5.9 million (July / 2018)
  • Income per capita: US $ 94,100 (2017)
  • 35th world economy

A round of negotiations was held with the country and the expectation of completion is 2020, according to the ministry.

Efta – European Free Trade Association
  • Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein
  • The four countries together bring together 13.7 million people
  • GDP of the block: EUR 963.9 million

    A Joint Declaration between the blocs was signed on January 19, 2017, to complete the exploratory dialogues on free trade. As of June this year, nine negotiation rounds have been held and some chapters of the agreement have already been finalized.

The dialogue with Efta began in December 2000, when the Joint Mercosur-EFTA Committee emerged. The bloc already has a free trade agreement with Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Block Negotiations

  • Efta with Brazil
    Imports: EUR 1,906 million
    Exports: EUR 2,671 million
  • Efta with Mercosur
    Imports: 2,093 million euros
    Exports: 3,696 million euros
  • Efta Worldwide Businesses
    Imports: EUR 255,3 million
    Exports: 310.7 million euros

 

News from: Gazeta do Povo

 

Brazilian government announces a plan to accelerate the analysis of patent applications

The Ministry of Economy announced on Wednesday (July 3) measures to reduce the number of patent applications for analysis (backlog) by 80% by 2021 and reduce to approximately two years the BPTO’s average grant of patents term.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes had participated in the launch of the Patents Backlog Combat Plan and said that the government is making important advances to stimulate the industry, increase the productivity and competitiveness of the Brazilian economy in the future. “We are in the knowledge economy, these intangible values such as patent law, trademark, property law are increasingly important,” he said.

According to the special secretary of Productivity, Employment and Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economy, Carlos da Costa, today, the backlog reaches 160 thousand applications. “We have patents being assessed now that they were deposited 11 years ago. Imagine a technology today, in the digital age, where everything is very fast, and 11 years later the patent is no longer so relevant, “he said.

For Costa, with the agility in granting patents, Brazil should stimulate innovation and become more competitive and integrated globally. He explains that in addition to preserving the right of the investor, the patent guarantees the dissemination of new technologies and allows other researchers to develop other patents.

The main novelty will be the analysis of national or foreign patent applications, which have already been evaluated in another country (80% of those in the queue). As of this month, BPTO will incorporate to the examination of these requests the search of patents realized abroad. In the case of patents that have not yet been evaluated abroad, the search will be made by the BPTO examiner.

According to the secretary, it is not an automatic patent authorization, but the use of the analyzes made in other countries. “The patent review processes were too long and had a lot of rework – many of these patents had already been granted internationally and started from scratch here. Now, let’s start from certain patent bases already recognized or already registered, “explained Costa.

The Patents Backlog Combat Plan does not include applications that received third-party subsidies or those with priority examination requirements. The use of the priority examination modalities of patent applications in the BPTO already allows the granting of patents in reduced terms, in about eight months.

Priority examinations benefit groups such as the elderly, micro and small businesses, science and technology institutions, green technology developers and participants in the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) – a project between national/regional patent offices in which a country takes advantage of the exam the partner to perform their analysis.

Madrid Protocol

During the event, Minister Paulo Guedes spoke about Brazil’s accession to the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty that facilitates and reduces the cost of registering Brazilian companies’ brands in other countries. “This will greatly stimulate the Brazilian industry, reciprocal recognition of brands, increase the competitiveness of Brazilian products abroad,” he said, noting also the possibility of more investments for the country with the recognition of foreign brands in Brazil.

Guedes also highlighted the cooperation of the Legislature to move Brazil’s accession to the protocol, which had been standing for 16 years in the Chamber of Deputies. The adhesion to the protocol was approved in the Congress in May of this year and signed by the president Jair Bolsonaro last week. The agreement, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was adopted on June 27, 1989, and has been in effect since 1996 in other nations.

According to the Ministry of Economy, the adhesion to the term was delivered today at WIPO. With this, the new system starts operating in October at BPTO. Brazilian companies will be able to simultaneously register their trademarks in 102 countries signatories of the agreement, presenting documentation only in Brazil, with the BPTO.

 

News from: Agência Brasil