Basic Patent Law in Brazil, and Recent Developments

Abstract

The largest country in South America by both geography and population, Brazil was discovered by Portuguese explorers in 1500. It remained a colony of Portugal until 1822, when Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. Initially, Brazil was constituted as an empire, but finally adopted a republic form of government in 1889. Since its formation as a republic, Brazil's political and governmental structure has been the subject of significant upheaval, with the country's military maintaining political control of the country for a substantial amount of time since 1889. Including the constitution put in place as part of the creation of the Empire of Brazil, the country has had a total of seven constitutions since its independence. In 1988, Brazil transitioned from military rule to a democratically-elected civilian government. That same year, the country adopted a new constitution which provides the foundation for its current legal and political institutions. This transition to democratic rule, along with the adoption of a new constitution, laid the political and legal foundation for Brazil's emergence as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies.