Brazil ponders patent reform

In case you think that Brazil's only interest in intellectual property rights is that which pertains to geographical indications (on which see Patricia's recent posts here, here and here), here's some evidence that this vast and multi-faceted jurisdiction is concerned to get its patent law just the way it wants it. The following changes to Brazilian patent law are currently under consideration:

1. Various restrictions on the patentability of new compounds, being “salts, esters, ethers, polymorphs, metabolites, pure form, size of particles, isomers, mixtures of isomers, complexes, combinations and other derivatives of a known substance";

2. The introduction of an opposition period and

3. The abolition of term extensions.

Further details are available here, while there's some background information here.