Trademark Prior Art Search at INPI: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

The prior art search is step zero of any trademark strategy in Brazil — and the most neglected one. Filing a trademark application with INPI without first checking whether the mark already exists is betting against the odds: applications that collide with earlier marks are denied based on Art. 124, item XIX, of the Industrial Property Law (Law No. 9,279/96), which prohibits the registration of a…