INPI issues updated Official Bulletin and announces adoption of IPAS

On July 23 2013 the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) issued a note on its website announcing two important pieces of news: the adoption of the Industrial Property Automation System (IPAS) and the publication of the new Official Trademark Bulletin.

First, the reformulation of the Official Trademark Bulletin aims to facilitate the access to publications. Further, the INPI wishes to make the publications easier to understand. The improvements mentioned by the INPI include:

• the grouping of publications of the same type (publications are now issued in the form of texts); and
• the insertion of explanatory notes on how to proceed in each case.  

The old publication 'codes' have now been replaced by publication 'texts'. The visual layout of the Official Trademark Bulletin has also changed.

Second, the new search system includes not only trademarks, but also patents, industrial designs and software.

The new IPAS provides comprehensive information on the trademark that is being searched. For example, when accessing information relating to a trademark application/registration, users can now see a description of the petitions that have been filed in connection with that specific application/registration, as well as evidence of the corresponding payments.

The adoption of the new search system and the publication of the new Official Trademark Bulletin are part of the INPI's efforts to improve the quality of its services, by providing users with detailed and clear information and making trademark publications in the Official Trademark Bulletin easier to understand.

Patrícia Lusoli, Guerra Propriedade Industrial, Rio de Janeiro