See the article in the newspaper “O Novo” on Intellectual Property in Portugal, its challenges and opportunities.
The product of a very interesting interview by Joana Petiz with Gustavo A. M. M. Lopes da Silva, Executive Board Member of RCF – Protecting Innovation.
“In patent protection, taking the right steps in time is decisive, but most companies and entrepreneurs still don’t do it. Even where there is more industry and innovation, many are still unaware of the need to protect their creations. And as soon as something becomes public – all it takes is one publication, even on a website with a few views – it can no longer be protected under a patent.
For Gustavo Lopes da Silva, it would therefore be important to give the intellectual property sector in Portugal a boost, namely with incentives from the PRR. “What exists today is very sparse and complex, with a company being able to access around 1,700 euros a year for intellectual property issues,” he says. That’s why he dismisses reports that patent applications in Portugal have tripled in ten years. “In the north of the country, where there is great industrial and inventive capacity, almost nothing is protected. A patent application and its granting is a process that can take up to 18 months, after which the use is valid for 20 years, but requires annual validation. At the moment, the conversion ratio between patents applied for and granted is 36%, i.e. only around a third of what is applied for is actually successful. And then, when it comes to using patents, companies like Bial, Navigator or Amorim are able to do so in its full potential, but the majority of SMEs and startups that initiate these processes are not.”
The head of the RCF therefore sees great potential for growth in the intellectual property sector. And he stresses that this commitment can really help to enhance the country, the Portuguese economy and the national business fabric. “What is done here has quality and innovation, but it has to be protected and valued.”
Article published in the Friday, March 29 edition of O NOVOhttps://lnkd.in/deG3gwYp