New Resolution 364/2024 issued by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) to Accelerate Patent Processes
On August 28, 2024, Resolution 364/2024 was published in the Patent Bulletin, establishing that applicants of pending patent applications must confirm whether the priority claimed under the Paris Convention has been granted in the country of origin.
Applicants will be notified through the Patent Bulletin and must respond within 60 calendar days. If no response is received within the specified period, the patent application will be considered abandoned.
Currently, it is common for applicants to lose interest in their invention by the time the first official action is issued, particularly in certain technical areas, due to the lengthy review times at INPI, which can span several years.
The main motivation for INPI to issue this resolution is the need to efficiently manage the large volume of pending applications, enabling examiners to focus on those that still interest applicants and discard those that are no longer relevant for applicants.
This measure follows the precedent set by INPI Resolutions No. P-187/2014 and P-178/2008, which proved effective in improving INPI’s efficiency, optimizing resource management, and reducing processing times.
With this measure, INPI aims to align its operations with international standards, where efficiency and speed in patent processing are key factors for a country’s competitiveness in the intellectual property field. By implementing these measures, INPI not only reduces delays but also improves its responsiveness to the demands of applicants and the industry as a whole.
For further information please contact rmauro@ojambf.com