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Eduardo Hallak and Rafaella Oliveira of Licks Attorneys explain how pharmaceutical companies can build stronger and more enforceable patent portfolios in Brazil by going beyond composition-of-matter patents and strategically protecting incremental innovations.

The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office has opened a public consultation on new regulations that would introduce fast-track processing options for industrial design applications, a mechanism not currently available in this category. The proposed framework includes priority pathways for elderly applicants, persons with disabilities, startups, litigation-related cases, and applications tied to patent filings or government permits, alongside a pilot project with quota-based allocation.

Recent legislative and judicial developments in Colombia have significantly expanded access to arbitration, introducing executive arbitration procedures and restoring arbitral jurisdiction over state contract disputes. These reforms provide businesses with faster enforcement mechanisms and greater flexibility in resolving commercial disputes, particularly those involving public entities.