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As Brazil prepares to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, intellectual property has emerged as a key strategic element in organizing the event.

With the enactment of Provisional Measure No. 1.335/2026 and the creation of a special regime by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO), Brazil has introduced fast-track mechanisms to protect trademarks, industrial designs, and other IP assets associated with the tournament.

Fast-track procedures for trademarks and designs

The new framework establishes priority examination procedures, including:

• Accelerated trademark registration;
• Fast-track industrial design examination;
• Reduced deadlines for appeals.

The goal is to ensure exclusivity and prevent unfair competition, particularly in a highly visible commercial environment.

Expanded protection scope

The measure significantly broadens the range of protected assets, including:

• Automatic recognition of well-known trademarks;
• Preventive blocking of domain names;
• Exclusive rights over “event-related data”;
• Extension of fast-track procedures to patents.

While patents are not typically central to sports events, their inclusion suggests a broader approach to technological protection.

Marketing rights and commercial exclusivity

The measure introduces a broad concept of “marketing rights,” covering:

• Sponsorship and advertising;
• Tourism and hospitality;
• Digital platforms and e-sports;
• Retail and event-related experiences.

It also establishes commercial exclusion zones around venues, restricting non-sponsors’ activities.

Data ownership and digital control

One of the most innovative aspects is the protection of event-related data.

• This may impact:
• Sports betting operators;
• Digital platforms;
• Media companies.

Combined with stricter control over audiovisual content, this reinforces centralized control over monetization in the digital environment.

The recent approval by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies of the provisional trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union marks a step in strengthening economic ties between the blocs, with direct implications for intellectual property, particularly patents, trademarks, and geographical indications.

While the agreement covers multiple strategic sectors, one of its most relevant aspects lies in the consolidation of intellectual property protection standards.

Patent protection and international alignment

Regarding patents, the agreement reaffirms the parties’ commitment to the TRIPS Agreement and to maintaining internationally established standards.

In practice, this means:

• Brazil retains its regulatory flexibility, especially in public health matters;
• Compulsory licensing remains available;
• National policies supporting generic medicines remain in effect.

This is a key point, as it avoids stricter patent rules that could negatively impact access to treatments and the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical sector.

Geographical indications and international protection

One of the most concrete advancements in the agreement is the expansion of protection for geographical indications (GIs).

• The agreement establishes:
• Mutual recognition between Mercosur and the EU;
• Direct protection within the EU without the need for additional registrations;
• Safeguards for prior users of traditional terms.

Brazilian products benefiting from this protection include:

• Cachaça
• Canastra cheese
• Cerrado Mineiro coffee
• Farroupilha wines
• Linhares cocoa
• Pantanal honey

This enhances the global positioning of Brazilian products and increases their added value in international markets.

Strategic impacts on innovation and IP

Although the agreement does not introduce major direct changes to the patent system, it creates important indirect effects:

• Greater legal certainty for cross-border operations;
• Increased incentives for technology transfer;
• Influence of European regulatory standards on Brazilian practices.

This environment favors companies seeking to expand the protection and commercialization of their IP assets internationally.

The Mercosur–EU agreement reflects a balance between trade liberalization and the preservation of Brazil’s regulatory autonomy in intellectual property.

While expanding protection for intangible assets, particularly through geographical indications, it maintains essential mechanisms for public policy and industrial development.

A major Brazilian scientific breakthrough in spinal cord regeneration has drawn global attention, while also highlighting critical challenges in protecting intellectual property for academic innovation.

Developed at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the technology uses a substance known as polylaminin to stimulate nerve regeneration shortly after traumatic injury. The first human application within 24 hours of trauma marks a significant milestone in medical science.

From research to disruption

Led by researcher Tatiana Sampaio, the innovation is the result of nearly three decades of scientific development.

Polylaminin acts as a biological scaffold, supporting neuron reconnection and preventing early cell death — a fundamentally different approach compared to traditional treatments focused solely on stabilization.

Early outcomes reinforce a key scientific insight: timely intervention can redefine recovery expectations, even in severe cases.

The warning: loss of international patent protection

Despite its disruptive potential, the case highlights a structural issue: the loss of international patent protection due to funding constraints.

Budget cuts in previous years resulted in the lapse of global patent coverage. The technology remained partially protected in Brazil only through the researcher’s personal financial efforts.

This situation underscores broader risks:

• breakthrough innovations may fail to generate economic returns domestically;
• strategic technologies may be exploited abroad;
• innovation ecosystems weaken without strong IP frameworks.

IP as a cornerstone of innovation strategy

With clinical trials authorized by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa), Brazil now seeks to regain momentum.

However, the case sends a clear message to global stakeholders:

Innovation without IP protection limits its commercial and strategic impact.

In sectors such as biotechnology, intellectual property is essential to:

• enable technology transfer;
• secure investment;
• ensure market exclusivity;
• transform research into scalable solutions.

Brazil and India have strengthened their strategic partnership through agreements that connect critical minerals, technology, and intellectual property, reinforcing a shared agenda focused on innovation and sustainable development.

During a meeting between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several memoranda of understanding were signed, including a key agreement on critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are essential to industries such as batteries, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.

Brazil’s vast reserves position the country as a strategic partner, while India seeks to diversify supply chains and reduce geopolitical dependencies.

Traditional knowledge and IP protection in focus

A major highlight is the agreement between the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that grants Brazil access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

Created in 2001, the TKDL contains over 520,000 records of traditional knowledge, including Ayurveda and Yoga practices, serving as a powerful prior art database for patent examination.

Key impacts include:

• Improved patent examination quality;
• Prevention of biopiracy and misappropriation;
• Stronger international IP cooperation.

The database has already supported the rejection or amendment of hundreds of patent applications worldwide.

IP at the core of technological cooperation

The integration of strategic resources and intangible assets highlights a global shift: intellectual property is now central to industrial policy and international collaboration.

Technology transfer initiatives depend on robust IP frameworks (including patents, proprietary knowledge, and data protection) to ensure legal certainty and enable innovation.

At the same time, broader initiatives such as the New Delhi Declaration reinforce the commitment to inclusive and trustworthy AI, expanding the scope of cooperation between both countries.

From an economic perspective, bilateral trade continues to grow, with ambitions to deepen integration into global value chains.

Intellectual Property (IP) plays a key role in economic and social development worldwide. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), creators and innovators use IP rights to turn ideas into strategic assets, generating economic and social benefits across countries.

In this global scenario, Brazil reported strong results in 2025. According to the December 2025 Industrial Property Monthly Bulletin, released by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO), both IP filings and grants increased, with record figures in patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and software registrations.

Patent filings reached 29,557 applications, a 6.7% increase compared to 2024, marking the strongest performance since 2016. Trademark filings totaled 504,461 applications, up 7.9%, surpassing the 500,000 mark for the first time in Brazil’s historical series.

Industrial designs recorded 9,872 filings (+35.7%), while software registrations reached 7,236 applications (+36.2%), both achieving historic highs. In addition, the BPTO received 20 Geographical Indication applications and seven integrated circuit topology filings in 2025.

Regarding grants, the Office issued 13,624 patents, 176,559 trademarks, 8,456 industrial designs, and 6,892 software registrations, with industrial design grants more than doubling year-on-year.

The data also highlights the profile of applicants. Individuals accounted for 39% of resident patent filings. In comparison, microentrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises accounted for 48% of trademark applications, underscoring the importance of IP protection for small businesses and individual innovators.

Overall, the figures confirm the positive evolution of Brazil’s IP system, driven by digital transformation, increased innovation demand, and the ongoing modernization of the BPTO, reinforcing Brazil’s position as a relevant jurisdiction for IP protection in Latin America.

On Monday (9), Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies approved, by 337 votes to 19, an urgent procedure for a bill that allows the compulsory licensing of patents related to Mounjaro and Zepbound. The approval places the proposal on a fast-track, bypassing committee review and moving directly to a plenary vote.

The medications are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, and the bill seeks to amend Brazil’s intellectual property framework to allow compulsory licenses for public-interest purposes.

Rationale behind the proposal

According to the bill’s justification, the high market prices of these drugs prevent their large-scale adoption, particularly in public health policies. The author argues that the current cost structure is incompatible with mass treatment strategies in a country with more than 200 million inhabitants, many of whom could benefit from such therapies.

The proposal also highlights that Brazil’s public healthcare system (SUS) is unable to absorb these medicines due to their elevated cost.

Parallel initiative in the Senate

A similar initiative is currently under discussion in the Brazilian Senate. The bill proposes a temporary suspension of the tirzepatide patent, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, on public-interest grounds. The proposal includes provisions for local manufacturing and expanded access to obesity treatment within the public healthcare system.

IP implications

These legislative initiatives revive discussions on the balance between patent protection and public health policies, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. If approved, compulsory licensing measures may significantly impact patent strategies, pricing models, technology transfer agreements, and investment decisions in Brazil.

On January 22, 2026, the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) released an updated version of its Industrial Designs Manual, introducing important changes to the examination of priority claims in industrial design applications.

The key change allows the BPTO to declare a loss of priority without issuing a prior office action in certain situations, marking a shift from prior administrative practice.

Cases where priority may be lost without prior action

Under the updated guidelines, priority may be automatically lost when:

• the priority document contains a design unrelated to the Brazilian application, and the correct document is not submitted within 90 days;
• a valid priority document, including figures, application number, and filing date in the country of origin, is not submitted within the 90-day statutory deadline; or
• the figures in the Brazilian application do not fully correspond to those in the priority document.

Situations where an office action still applies

The BPTO will continue to issue office actions in cases such as:

• illegible or incomplete priority documents;
• discrepancies between the applicants or owners listed in the Brazilian filing and the priority document; or
• poor-quality figures that prevent proper comparison between the claimed design and the priority filing.

Legal basis and practical impact

The update aligns the Manual with the Brazilian Industrial Property Law (Law No. 9,279/1996), particularly Articles 16 and 99. It reflects the conclusions of Legal Opinion No. 00016/2023, which emphasizes strict compliance with administrative deadlines.

While the new approach is more stringent, applicants’ right to appeal remains fully preserved.

Overall, the changes aim to improve exam efficiency, eliminate procedural inconsistencies, and enhance legal certainty and predictability for industrial design applicants in Brazil.

Brazil and the European Union have announced the mutual recognition of the equivalence of their personal data protection frameworks, creating a trusted legal basis for cross-border data transfers between the two jurisdictions.

The decision acknowledges that both systems ensure high and reliable standards of privacy protection, providing legal certainty for international data flows related to economic activities, digital services, scientific cooperation, and global platform operations.

From a regulatory perspective, the agreement is expected to reduce compliance burdens, enhance legal predictability, and foster digital trade and investment between Brazil and the EU. Government officials emphasized that strong data protection standards are not obstacles to innovation, but rather a cornerstone of a sustainable and trustworthy digital economy.

The measure also highlights the growing alignment between Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a key issue for companies handling personal data across borders.

Bill No. 512/25, currently under review by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, proposes amendments to the Brazilian Industrial Property Law to protect the use of trademarks that have been used continuously and in good faith over time, even without formal registration.

Under the proposal, trademark coexistence may be allowed when:

• the mark has been used for a prolonged period without opposition;
• there is a significant geographic distance between the businesses;
• the registered trademark owner failed to act promptly;
• no financial harm or likelihood of consumer confusion is demonstrated.

according to the author of the text, Congressman Jonas Donizette, the measure aims to enhance legal certainty for micro and small businesses, which often develop well-established local brands but later face claims from trademark owners who do not operate in the same region.

The bill also references recent case law from the São Paulo Court of Appeals (TJSP), which allowed the coexistence of identical trademarks used by pizzerias in different cities, based on over 30 years of good-faith use and the trademark owner’s delay in enforcing its rights.

If enacted, the proposal may significantly influence trademark enforcement strategies in Brazil, particularly in disputes involving prior use, good faith, and the territorial scope of trademark rights.

The bill is subject to conclusive review by the Industry, Commerce and Services Committee and the Constitution and Justice Committee.

Brazil’s Geographical Indications (GIs) continue to expand at a steady pace and are expected to grow by approximately 20% per year, according to Sebrae. The trend confirms the increasing relevance of GIs as strategic intellectual property assets, supporting product differentiation, regional development, and market access.

Between 2020 and the end of 2025, the number of GIs recognized by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) increased from 73 to 150 registrations, more than doubling in five years. In early 2026, the total reached 151 GIs, with the certification of Carambeí pies (Paraná).

The GI registration process in Brazil requires careful technical and legal structuring. Preparation alone may take around 18 months, followed by an average 12-month examination period before the BPTO. This timeline highlights the importance of early planning and governance.

Brazilian GIs may be recognized as Indications of Source or Denominations of Origin and operate as collective IP rights, protecting geographic names and associated production methods. Coffee stands out as the sector with the highest number of GI registrations, illustrating the economic value of origin-based protection.

Beyond a quality label, GIs function as legal tools that strengthen value chains and position Brazilian products more competitively in domestic and international markets.