During the opening speech of the 43rd International Congress on Intellectual Property on Sunday, the 20th, Gabriel Leonardos, President of ABPI, addressed the crisis in the Brazilian patent system. He proposed a neo-industrialization of the country and emphasized the importance of the BPTO’s (Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office) financial autonomy. Leonardos mentioned ABPI’s presence in 17 states and announced the upcoming ABPI Congress in Recife, Pernambuco, breaking the cycle of events being primarily held in the Rio-São Paulo axis in recent years.
In honoring the entity’s six decades, the ABPI President paid tribute to its founders, including Honorary President Peter Dirk Siemsen, who was present at the event, and those “who left us last year,” such as Gert Dannemann, a former Honorary President of the organization.
Leonardos pointed out that Brazil’s deindustrialization led to a decline in patent applications: from 34,000 in 2013 to 27,000 last year, while the rest of the world saw a 20% increase during the same period.
He attributed this decline to BPTO’s examination delays, resolved mainly through the institute’s backlog reduction program. Leonardos highlighted ABPI’s efforts to secure financial autonomy for the BPTO to prevent 12 to 14-year patent decision delays. He noted Vice President Geraldo Alckmin’s commitment to strengthening the BPTO with technical expertise and personnel.
For promoting neo-industrialization, Leonardos emphasized Brazil’s investment potential in sectors of global competitive advantage, like the sustainable exploration of the country’s biodiversity.
Leonardos also underlined ABPI’s active participation in the GIPI – Interministerial Group on Intellectual Property. The organization collaborated in all 13 subgroups of Technical Dialogues, engaging in discussions about patents, trademarks, contracts, geographical indications, and more.
