Brazilian professor sues Central Bank over Pix ownership

Professor and entrepreneur Anette Vernaschi Toppan has filed a lawsuit against Brazil's Central Bank, claiming the instant payment system Pix infringes on her 2014 project “Tá Pago.” Toppan seeks at least 1 million reais in damages and formal recognition of her authorship. The case is being heard in the 18th Federal Civil Court in the Federal District.

The Central Bank denies any plagiarism, arguing that instant mobile payments existed internationally before 2014 and that ideas cannot be owned under Brazilian law. Judge Arthur Pinheiro Chaves rejected Toppan's request for a technical expert analysis to compare the two systems, ordering the bank to provide certified translations of foreign‑language documents within 30 days. No judicial decision has yet been made on the merits of the claim.