LISBON - A new Portuguese Industrial Property Code was published on July 25, 2008, and it will become in force on October 1, 2008.

According to RAUL CÉSAR FERREIRA, this new Code includes several significant changes in the Portuguese Intellectual Property (IP) Law and its general scope is to simplify the procedures before the Trademark Office.

One of the most relevant and practical changes concerns the fact that the filing of periodical Declarations of Intent to Use (DIUs) is no longer required, in order to keep a trademark registration in force.

According to this new Code, the trademarks in relation to which DIUs were not filed in the past will not be subject to cancellation on this ground anymore.

Another extremely important change refers to the establishment of rules for provisional patent applications.