Brazil is first-to-file
Ownership comes from registration, not from use. Apart from narrow exceptions, a local company that files your brand first can keep it and block your entry.
Law 9,279/96, art. 129
Trademark registration in Brazil
Secure your brand in Brazil before someone else files it
Clearance search, Nice classification, filing with INPI (the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office) and monitoring until registration. Your local IP attorney in Brazil, working with you in English.
Viability check before you engage us. You know whether your mark can be registered in Brazil before you decide.
Why file in Brazil
Your home registration stops at the border
Brazil is the largest market in Latin America, and trademark rights there come from registration at INPI. If you plan to sell, license or franchise in Brazil, the filing should come first.
USPTO and EUIPO don’t cover Brazil
Trademark rights are territorial. A US, EU or UK registration has no effect in Brazil until the mark is filed and registered there.
Territoriality principle
A local attorney is required
Applicants based abroad must appoint an attorney domiciled in Brazil to act before INPI and to receive service of process on their behalf.
Law 9,279/96, art. 217
Two ways to file
Direct filing or the Madrid Protocol
Both routes lead to the same Brazilian registration. We help you choose the one that fits your portfolio and act as your representative in Brazil either way.
Direct filing at INPI
We file in Portuguese, in your name, and handle every step locally.
- Goods and services drafted to INPI’s practice from the start
- Paris Convention priority from your home application, within 6 months
- Works whether or not you have a registration elsewhere
Designating Brazil via Madrid
Brazil has been part of the Madrid System since 2019. You can designate Brazil through WIPO, based on your home application or registration.
- One application for several countries
- A representative in Brazil answers oppositions and office actions from INPI
- We review the Brazilian designation as soon as it is published
How it works
From application to registration certificate
These are the stages at INPI. Our job is to prepare the application to pass each one with as little risk as possible, and to respond on time when something comes up.
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Clearance search
We search INPI’s database for earlier marks that could conflict with yours, and flag the risk before you invest in filing.
before you engage us -
Classes and specification
We choose the Nice classes and draft the goods and services in Portuguese, following the terms INPI accepts.
NCL 1–45 -
Filing at INPI
We file the application and claim priority when applicable. You receive the application number and filing date.
application no. -
Publication and opposition
The application is published in INPI’s official gazette (RPI). Third parties have 60 days to oppose, and we respond if anyone does.
RPI · 60 days -
Substantive examination
INPI examines whether the mark can be registered. If it issues an office action or a refusal, we prepare the response or appeal.
office action · appeal -
Registration
After allowance, the registration fee is paid within the deadline and the certificate is issued. Protection lasts 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely.
10-year term
The RPI is published every week. We read each issue and report to you, in English, on every action in your case and on any third-party filings similar to your mark.
Services
What we do for foreign brand owners
Clearance searches
Risk assessment in the Brazilian register before you file or launch.
Portuguese specification
Translation and adaptation of your goods and services list to INPI’s practice.
Filing and priority claims
National applications with Paris Convention priority from your home filing.
Local representation for Madrid
Representation before INPI for international registrations designating Brazil.
Watch and reporting
Weekly review of the RPI with reports in English on deadlines and similar marks.
Oppositions and office actions
Defending your application and filing oppositions against conflicting marks.
Appeals and nullity
Appeals against refusals and administrative nullity actions against bad-faith registrations.
Renewals and recordals
Renewal deadlines, assignments, licenses and changes of name or address.
Your attorney in Brazil
Thiago Moraes Zizuel
Brazilian Bar Association · OAB/RJ 157.251
Brazilian attorney with 16 years of practice and a specialization in Intellectual Property from the World Intellectual Property Organization. He handles every case personally, from the first message to the registration certificate.
- Law degreeFundação Oswaldo Aranha (UniFOA), Brazil
- PostgraduateCivil Law (Uniderp)
- IP trainingIntellectual Property, University of Geneva (UNIGE) and WIPO
- INPICertified by Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property
- BarMember of the Ombudsman Committee, Brazilian Bar, Volta Redonda chapter, 2017–2024
Client feedback
What clients say
“I hired attorney Thiago Zizuel and the result was positive. The fee was fair for what I got back. Excellent value. I highly recommend his services.”
“An excellent, highly qualified professional, very attentive and always willing to answer.”
“An excellent attorney, with great competence, dedication, experience and professionalism. Congratulations on the work!”
Translated from Portuguese.
FAQ
Registering a trademark in Brazil from abroad
Do I need a Brazilian attorney?
Yes. Brazilian law requires applicants domiciled abroad to appoint and keep an attorney domiciled in Brazil, with powers to represent them before INPI and in court, including to receive service of process.
Should I file directly or through the Madrid Protocol?
It depends on your portfolio. Madrid is efficient if you are filing in several countries at once. A direct national filing gives more control over the Portuguese specification. We look at your marks and recommend one before you file.
Can I claim priority from my US or EU application?
Yes. Under the Paris Convention you can claim priority from your first filing in another member country if you file in Brazil within 6 months of it.
How long does registration take?
It depends on INPI’s backlog and on whether the application faces an opposition or an office action. We give you an up-to-date estimate for your case. Your rights date back to the filing date.
What do you need from me to start?
The mark (and the logo file, if any), the goods and services you sell or plan to sell, the applicant’s details and a signed power of attorney, which we prepare for you. If you claim priority, we also need the details of your home application.
What does it cost?
The total is INPI’s official fees, which depend on the number of classes, plus our professional fees. You receive a full quote before anything is filed.
Get in touch
Tell us about your brand
Fill in the fields and your message opens ready to send on WhatsApp. We check your mark’s viability in Brazil before you engage us, and reply in English with next steps and a quote. Our office runs on Brasília time (UTC−3).
WhatsApp
+55 24 99837-3242