Trademark Registration by Municipal Public Entities: Evaluation and Proposal of Guidelines for the Municipalities of Vale do Taquari/RS
Intellectual Property; Public Trademarks; Intangible Asset Management; Municipal Public Administration; Trademark Registration.
Intellectual property, particularly in relation to trademarks, has become a relevant instrument for the protection and valorization of intangible assets, including within the scope of public administration. This study aims to analyze the performance of municipal governments in the Vale do Taquari/RS region regarding the registration and management of public trademarks, with an emphasis on the protection of intangible assets associated with events, programs, and institutional initiatives. Despite the legal framework that allows public entities to register trademarks, there is a lack of structured internal policies on the subject, which may result in legal uncertainty, institutional fragility, and misappropriation of these signs by third parties. The research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, seeking to map the institutional behavior of municipalities in the studied region. Trademark registration data will be collected from the public database of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), followed by interviews with public managers and a comparative analysis with a reference municipality in public trademark management. The study is expected to map the regional scenario, identify obstacles and opportunities in the management of public trademarks, and contribute to the institutional strengthening of municipalities. The resulting technical report is intended to serve as a practical tool to support decision-making by public managers, especially in small and medium-sized municipalities, fostering the valorization of intangible assets in the public sector. The proposal aims to fill a theoretical and practical gap and to promote an institutional culture oriented toward intellectual property in municipal public administration.