Brazil is located in the eastern part of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the east and any country in South America to the north, west, and south (excluding Chile and Ecuador). It is one of the largest economies in Latin America. In recent years, Brazil, as one of the BRICS countries, has been increasingly favored by investors, and more and more applicants have begun to pay attention to Brazil's patent protection. Brazil is the fourth country in the world to establish a patent system, with a relatively complete intellectual property protection system and relevant laws that are basically in line with international standards.
Brazil supported the development of patent rights quite early, and began implementing patent laws in 1809. Brazil has also become a founding member of the Paris Convention for industrial property protection due to its continued support for global patent protection. In 1978, Brazil became a signatory to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and in 1995, it joined the World Trade Organization as a member.
Brazil has a "first to apply" patent system, which recognizes patent ownership based on the first applicant rather than the first inventor. The National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) is responsible for patent application and examination.