Monday IPDate June 16, 2025

USPTO discontinuing Accelerated Examination program for utility applications

Beginning on July 10, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will no longer accept petitions under the Accelerated Examination program for utility patent applications. The Accelerated Examination program will remain in effect for design applications, which do not currently have an alternative expedited examination program.

> USPTO discontinuing Accelerated Examination program for utility applications

Brazil: New rules on acquired distinctiveness in trademark registration

Ordinance No. 15/2025, published on 10 June 2025, by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO), introduces, for the first time, a specific framework for the recognition of acquired distinctiveness in trademark registration.

> Brazil: New rules on acquired distinctiveness in trademark registration