On 1 January 2021 Ordinance 404 came into force, establishing Phase II of the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Programme in Brazil. Phase II was published by the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BRPTO) in the last week of 2020 and modifies the limits and requirements for requesting participation in the PPH Programme, which are detailed below. With this new phase of the PPH Programme, the previous Resolution 252 (establishing Phase I) has been revoked. PPH Programme The PPH Programme allows the examination of a patent application to be expedited in Brazil whenever a corresponding patent has been granted in one of the countries participating in the programme, upon the applicant's request.