With the aim of improving and accelerating the examination of trademark applications, the Brazilian Trademark Office (INPI) announced on November 18th that it has updated its Trademark Manual and Guidelines concerning the receipt and processing of trademark applications and related petitions. The updated guidelines establish new ‘examination queues,’ reorganizing the procedures applicable to the examination of trademark applications.
The updated guidelines will come into effect on December 20, 2025, and establish 16 independent examination queues, covering different scenarios, including, among others:
- (a) applications without opposition;
- (b) applications with opposition;
- (c) applications with opposition containing restricted allegations (Oppositions limited to the protection of third-party trademarks and with a restricted amount of text);
- (d) collective mark applications;
- (e) certification mark applications;
- (f) three-dimensional mark applications;
- (g) positional mark applications;
- (h) applications granted priority processing.
The new queues also distinguish between national trademark applications and those filed through the Madrid Protocol, allowing INPI to apply tailored examination flows to each category.
This update aligns with INPI’s ongoing efforts to reduce its backlog and streamline trademark examination by implementing more segmented, specialized, and predictable examination routines.
With the introduction of the new examination structure, companies holding trademark rights in Brazil may find it appropriate to reassess their current filing strategies.
