BRAZIL
BRAZIL
Th e online submission system demonstrates the progress that the BPTO has • Prohibiting clauses of assignment of copyrights in labour-related agreements
achieved in making the process more effi cient.
• Creating rights of use for the public administration of any work created
with public funds or prizes
Online system usage has increased even further since the June 2009
introduction of lower rates for online submissions. Under the new schedule,
• Limiting the assignment of future works
the offi cial rate for electronic submissions is approximately $180, compared • Regulating the defi nitive assignment of works
to approximately $240 for hardcopy submissions.
• Prohibiting the automatic renewal of assignments
Th e new system needs improvement, however, and faces limitations that
• Instituting rules for revising past assignments when there is an increase in
oft en render it impossible to use. Th e main limitation involves product
the value of the work
and service specifi cations. Applications can only be submitted online for
• Revising the current rules governing droit de suit to establish a fi ve percent
products and services that already appear on an approved BPTO list. For
rule in relation to the sale price and not the eventual cost.
other products or services, the user must arrange a consultation in order for
the inclusion to be authorised. Th is procedure takes a few days and makes
Th e government is considering submitting a bill to congress and a heated
many submissions unfeasible.
debate is expected in both congressional houses due to the scope of the
changes and the number of parties aff ected.
In addition to the specifi cation problem, the E-Marcas system will also not
acknowledge priorities when process numbers are composed of numbers
Licensing
and letters, since the system only recognises numbers. Cases involving
Th e recordal of an IP licence at the BPTO is important in order to:
numbers and letters include, for example, priorities from Italy. Th e system
also doesn’t accept priorities from the European Community and Benelux • Produce eff ective protection against third-party use, thereby ensuring the
countries, since the initials (EM and BX respectively) do not appear in the licensee’s exclusive rights in Brazil and enabling it to defend the mark or
E-Marcas database. join a licensor in disputes involving the trademark
• Permit the remittance of remuneration to a foreign party
Copyright
• Qualify the licensee for tax deductions.
Brazil’s Copyright Act has been in eff ect since February 1999. Th ere have
been many developments during that time, and many more are on the horizon.
However, since the enactment of the Industrial Property Law, there has
been controversy over the authority of the BPTO to enforce changes to the
Even though the legislation is quite new, the Ministry of Culture is already
contractual provisions chosen by the parties.
pushing for radical changes, such as the creation of a new government entity
with the power and authority to ‘supervise’ collective management of public
Th e BPTO maintains that it can recommend changes to private stipulations
performance rights, formulate and manage copyright policy, co-ordinate
as a condition for recordal, based on past precedents. It interprets its
international negotiations involving copyright, centralise and regulate works
mandate as enforcing IP rules, taking into consideration the constitutional
that are in the public domain, and foster the diff usion of copyright.
provision that provides that IP rights should be granted in respect of social
and economic aims.
Further, the proposal suggests:
Th is position was sustained in a decision of the Second Federal Court of
• Abolishing provisions that protect the technological measures used for
Appeals in a case following a BPTO determination that a contractually
digital rights management or creating penalties for the abusive use of
agreed royalty rate should be reduced from 20 percent to fi ve percent of
such measures
net receipts.
• Instituting a private copy fee to be distributed among copyright owners
However, in a judgment dated April 28, 2009, in a similar case, the same court
• Allowing the performance of works without remuneration in religious
decided by a majority vote that the BPTO lacks the legitimacy to intervene
sites, public hospitals and public schools where there is no intent to gain
and recommend the reduction of a royalty rate agreed by the parties, due to
• Creating criminal penalties for blocking the use of a work in the public domain the absence of an express provision in the law granting this authority.
44 World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 www.worldipreview.com
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