The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO) Industrial Property Statistical Yearbook 2024 provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in Brazil’s innovation and intellectual property (IP) landscape. The document presents updated statistics and indicators on the use of IP rights across the country, offering valuable input for public policy design, corporate strategies, and academic research on innovation.
The 2024 edition underscores that innovation in Brazil is advancing, with private R&D investments growing by 2%. The sectors leading R&D efforts include automotive, extractive industries, pharmaceuticals, and oil & gas.
We will publish a series of articles with relevant insights on the BPTO Statistical Yearbook released last week, highlighting the main trends and their implications for businesses, innovators, and the development of Brazil’s innovation ecosystem.
In this opening article, we present the main developments in the Brazilian patent system.
Patents in Brazil: Key Developments and Trends
The recently released BPTO Statistical Yearbook 2024 highlights important developments in Brazil’s patent landscape. A total of 27,701 patent applications were filed last year, reflecting a stable number of applications compared to 2023. This overall stability, however, underscores contrasting dynamics between residents and foreign applicants.
Countries of Origin of Patent Applications
In 2024, Brazil became the leading country of origin for patent filings at the BPTO, accounting for 30% of total applications and surpassing the United States (25%) for the first time.
Technological Fields
In 2024, foreign patent applicants focused on Pharmaceuticals (11.2%), Digital Communication (9.9%), Biotechnology (9.3%), Fine Organic Chemistry (8.1%), and Basic Materials Chemistry (5.9%).
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Figure A5 – Main technological fields of foreign patent applicants, in 2024 |
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Position |
Foreing Patent Applicants |
|
|
Technological Field |
Participation |
|
|
1st |
Pharmaceuticals |
11,2% |
|
2nd |
Digital communication |
9,9% |
|
3rd |
Biotechnology |
9,3% |
|
4th |
Fine organic chemistry |
8,1% |
|
5th |
Basic material chemistry |
5,9% |
|
6th |
Medical technology |
4,7% |
|
7th |
Other special machines |
4,3% |
|
8th |
Transport |
3,3% |
|
9th |
Computer technology |
3,2% |
|
10th |
Civil engineering |
3,1% |
|
|
|
62,9% |
|
Total |
|
100% |
Patent Grants
In 2024, the BPTO granted 12,914 patents (12,096 invention patents, 781 utility models, and 37 certificates of addition).
Looking ahead
The year 2024 marked a significant milestone in Brazil’s patent system, positioning the country as the leading recipient of patent applications in Latin America. The increasing participation of major Tech and Pharma companies, along with universities, highlights Brazil’s growing innovation capacity. This achievement is largely attributed to the efforts of the BPTO, supported by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry, and Commerce, in raising awareness about the importance of intellectual property within the country’s innovation ecosystem. In addition, the BPTO has announced the hiring of 120 new staff, 40 of whom will join the patents sector. The new recruits are expected to begin working in six months, following the completion of their training program.
