{"id":6693,"date":"2026-11-05T20:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T20:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/?page_id=6693"},"modified":"2026-11-05T20:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T20:27:03","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Answers to the most common questions about industrial property, based on the information published on this website by RCF \u2013 Protecting Innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-1\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is an Official Industrial Property Agent (AOPI)?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">An AOPI (Official Industrial Property Agent) is a professional recognized by examination and publicly invested by the Official Body (INPI \u2013 Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property) that protects Industrial Property rights.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-2\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is the AOPI profession regulated?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes. The profession of AOPI is one of the regulated professions in the area of Justice (under the tutelage of the Ministry of Justice), along with lawyers, notaries and solicitors (Ordinance no. 89\/2012 of March 30).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-3\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What services can an AOPI provide?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">AOPI can provide all the specialized services necessary to obtain the granting of your IP rights.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-4\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What technical searches and analysis does RCF carry out?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">RCF carries out prior art searches, to determine the likelihood of grant for applications or registrations; searches to identify rights or portfolios of rights and analysis of their legal status; advanced technical researches for establishing the grounds for technical and legal opinions; analysis and opinion on the validity of Industrial Property rights and preparation of the respective technical\/legal reports; freedom-to-operate analysis and preparation of opinion reports; and analysis and opinion on possible infringement of Industrial Property rights and preparation of opinion reports.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-5\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What do RCF trademark searches cover?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">RCF PI is qualified to carry out trademark searches, including figurative marks, using its own databases as well as other external databases of recognised quality, thereby ensuring a fast and reliable result. These searches compare the intended trademark with hundreds of thousands of existing trademarks in Portugal; they cover not only national trademarks but also European Union trademarks and international trademarks with protection in Portugal. In addition, they include an identity search for logotypes, domain names and company names (registered with the National Registry of Legal Entities). The search results may be accompanied by an expert opinion on the likelihood of successfully obtaining registration for the intended trademark, as well as practical suggestions to overcome any obstacles revealed by the searches.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-6\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Does a registered trademark guarantee freedom to enter a market?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Not necessarily. The existence of an Intellectual Property (IP) right, namely registered trademarks or designs or patents applied for or granted, does not necessarily imply the freedom to enter a given market, nor does it guarantee that everything is secured in terms of IP rights.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-7\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How does RCF support the internationalization of IP rights?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">RCF PI supports companies in planning the internationalization of their IP rights, working and advising on the best protection strategies outside Portugal, in close collaboration with the legal and marketing departments of its client companies. The support includes identification and analysis of existing IP rights already present in the desired market; adaptation to the new market; protection of innovation in the desired destination; entry model and strategic partnerships; monitoring of IP rights in these jurisdictions through a network of technological and local partners; and advice on the possibility of litigation to enforce rights or in case of threats of litigation by third parties.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-8\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is the difference between a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and a Geographical Indication (GI)?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">In a PDO, the connection with the region is stronger: the specific characteristics and qualities of the products are due not only to human factors, but also to the natural production conditions, and the product must be produced, processed and elaborated in the specified region. In a GI the connection is weaker: it is sufficient that the reputation of the product can be attributed to a region, and it is sufficient that only one of the production, processing and elaboration operations occurs there. A GI must always include a geographical name (name of a region, specific location, or country).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-9\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is ARBITRARE?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">ARBITRARE is an institutionalized arbitration center, nationwide, with competence to resolve disputes in 3 areas: industrial property, domain names, firms or company names. RCF PI integrates this arbitration center with the participation of an arbitrator.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-rcf-en-10\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How can I contact RCF and what are its opening hours?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You can contact RCF by phone at +351 210 545 500 or by email at mail@rcf.pt. The address is Rua Tom\u00e1s Ribeiro 45, 2\u00ba, 1050-225 Lisbon, Portugal. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Answers to the most common questions about industrial property, based on the information published on this website by RCF \u2013 Protecting Innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6693","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Frequently Asked Questions on Industrial Property | RCF<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Answers about Official Industrial Property Agents (AOPI), trademark searches, internationalization, designations of origin, arbitration and how to contact RCF.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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rights.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-2","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-2","name":"Is the AOPI profession regulated?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. The profession of AOPI is one of the regulated professions in the area of Justice (under the tutelage of the Ministry of Justice), along with lawyers, notaries and solicitors (Ordinance no. 89\/2012 of March 30).","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-3","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-3","name":"What services can an AOPI provide?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"AOPI can provide all the specialized services necessary to obtain the granting of your IP rights.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-4","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-4","name":"What technical searches and analysis does RCF carry out?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"RCF carries out prior art searches, to determine the likelihood of grant for applications or registrations; searches to identify rights or portfolios of rights and analysis of their legal status; advanced technical researches for establishing the grounds for technical and legal opinions; analysis and opinion on the validity of Industrial Property rights and preparation of the respective technical\/legal reports; freedom-to-operate analysis and preparation of opinion reports; and analysis and opinion on possible infringement of Industrial Property rights and preparation of opinion reports.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-5","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-5","name":"What do RCF trademark searches cover?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"RCF PI is qualified to carry out trademark searches, including figurative marks, using its own databases as well as other external databases of recognised quality, thereby ensuring a fast and reliable result. These searches compare the intended trademark with hundreds of thousands of existing trademarks in Portugal; they cover not only national trademarks but also European Union trademarks and international trademarks with protection in Portugal. In addition, they include an identity search for logotypes, domain names and company names (registered with the National Registry of Legal Entities). The search results may be accompanied by an expert opinion on the likelihood of successfully obtaining registration for the intended trademark, as well as practical suggestions to overcome any obstacles revealed by the searches.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-6","position":6,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-6","name":"Does a registered trademark guarantee freedom to enter a market?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not necessarily. The existence of an Intellectual Property (IP) right, namely registered trademarks or designs or patents applied for or granted, does not necessarily imply the freedom to enter a given market, nor does it guarantee that everything is secured in terms of IP rights.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-7","position":7,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-7","name":"How does RCF support the internationalization of IP rights?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"RCF PI supports companies in planning the internationalization of their IP rights, working and advising on the best protection strategies outside Portugal, in close collaboration with the legal and marketing departments of its client companies. The support includes identification and analysis of existing IP rights already present in the desired market; adaptation to the new market; protection of innovation in the desired destination; entry model and strategic partnerships; monitoring of IP rights in these jurisdictions through a network of technological and local partners; and advice on the possibility of litigation to enforce rights or in case of threats of litigation by third parties.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-8","position":8,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-8","name":"What is the difference between a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and a Geographical Indication (GI)?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In a PDO, the connection with the region is stronger: the specific characteristics and qualities of the products are due not only to human factors, but also to the natural production conditions, and the product must be produced, processed and elaborated in the specified region. In a GI the connection is weaker: it is sufficient that the reputation of the product can be attributed to a region, and it is sufficient that only one of the production, processing and elaboration operations occurs there. A GI must always include a geographical name (name of a region, specific location, or country).","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-9","position":9,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-9","name":"What is ARBITRARE?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"ARBITRARE is an institutionalized arbitration center, nationwide, with competence to resolve disputes in 3 areas: industrial property, domain names, firms or company names. RCF PI integrates this arbitration center with the participation of an arbitrator.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-10","position":10,"url":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/frequently-asked-questions\/#faq-question-rcf-en-10","name":"How can I contact RCF and what are its opening hours?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You can contact RCF by phone at +351 210 545 500 or by email at mail@rcf.pt. The address is Rua Tom\u00e1s Ribeiro 45, 2\u00ba, 1050-225 Lisbon, Portugal. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6693"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6694,"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6693\/revisions\/6694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rcf.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}