IP rights body to launch new services
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is launching new services this week, including a new system that will give creators and authors a unique identifier that is recognized worldwide.
An agency official told the Inquirer last week that they will launch the international standard name modifier system during the Philippine International Copyright Summit scheduled on Oct. 21-25, 2024 at the Novotel Manila Araneta in Quezon City.
“This is so we avoid different names based on language. It also solves [ensures] the attribution of royalties to one and the same person,” the official said.
Aside from this name system, the IPOPHIL will also launch their online copyright registration, making it easier and more convenient to file for such IPs.
Also, the agency said that the five-day summit will feature plenary sessions, panel discussions, and workshops on global copyright developments. Local and international experts, policymakers, and creatives in the copyright industry are also expected to attend.
3-year streak
IP registrations in the Philippines increased by 2.5 percent in 2023, marking three years of consecutive growth.
Registrations for trademarks, patents, utility models (UM) and industrial designs (ID) reached 49,832 during last year, growing from the 48,600 recorded in 2022. In particular, trademark filings climbed slightly by 1.2 percent, reaching 41,953 from the 41,452 tallied a year ago.
Meanwhile, filings for UMs — which provide patent-like protection at a shorter duration and with a less rigorous application process — registered the highest annual growth at a rate of 24 percent, rising to 1,847 applications from just 1,489 in 2022.
On the other hand, patent applications saw a 2.9 percent increase to 4,544 from 4,418 in the preceding year. Lastly, filings for IDs — which protect the unique appearance of a product — grew from 1,488 in last year from 1,241 in the previous, marking a 19.9 percent increase.
Last July, the IPOPHL said it recorded more than 21,700 trademark applications during the first half of the year, indicating the volume has grown by 7 percent compared to a year ago.
