PPH Phase V at the INPI: New rules expand and accelerate priority patent examination in 2025

On January 1, 2025, Phase V of the PPH (Patent Prosecution Highway) Project came into force at the INPI. Established by INPI/PR Ordinance No. 48 of November 29, 2024, this new Phase brings updates to the Priority Patent Examination program in Brazil regarding corresponding patent applications abroad.

The main practical changes introduced by Phase V compared to previous phases include: the annual cap on PPH requests accepted by the INPI, which has increased to up to 3,200 applications (with a maximum of 1,000 requests allowed within the same International Patent Classification - IPC); the inclusion of new partner offices following the INPI's accession to the GPPH (Global Patent Prosecution Highway); and the removal of both the weekly limit on PPH requests per applicant and the restriction on the number of PPH requests based on PCT examination results.

The PPH is one of several strategies available to accelerate patent examination, and the changes implemented by Phase V directly benefit users by expanding the number of eligible applications, granting them faster administrative decisions.