Intellectual property protection applications up 14% in the first quarter »Manila Business Bulletin

By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

Claims for protection of intellectual property rights increased by 14% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same year last year, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

IPOPHL's Executive Director, Josephine R. Santiago, said the increase in intellectual property demand was mirroring the increasing demand for protection of new technologies and inventions.

Patent applications (covering inventions, utility models and industrial designs) and trademarks received by IPOPHL reached 10,024 in the first quarter of the year, 14 % more than the 8,761 IP applications in the same period in 2017. 19659004] Trademarks occupied the bulk of IP applications during the period, with 8,400 applications and 84% of the total

. Brands serve as identifiers, intended to distinguish the products or services of a company. from one another, and can be an important marketing tool for companies to establish brand recognition.

This was followed by patents with 986 or 38% more than the last 717 years.

Patents for the utility model followed with 331 or 59 percent higher than 208 in the first quarter followed by industrial design with 307 of 373 last year.

Known in the jurisprudence as a "silent seller", a brand helps to create goodwill "The rise of IP applications reflects the growing public awareness of the importance of brands, because of our key partnerships with the media, the Department of Commerce, industry and other strategic partners Apart from this collaboration, the strategic presence of IPOPHL has ceased to grow on our platforms of social media, "said Mr. Santiago,

" These efforts are of course supported by the growing understanding, appreciation, and relevance of brands. "

IPOPHL has 12 satellite offices, located in the offices of DTI in some cities: Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Pampanga, Legazpi, General Santos, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Tuguegarao, Tacloban and Dumaguete.The head office reports to the IPOPHL office in the region. from the national capital.

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted for an invention that consists of a product, process or improvement that meets the requirements of industrial applicability, inventiveness, and novelty. As a group of exclusive rights, a patent allows the inventor to authorize or prohibit others from making, using, selling or importing the product of his invention for the duration of the patent. life of the patent.

designed to protect innovations that do not need to reach the inventive threshold required for a standard patent application. However, it must always have practical utility, industrial applicability and novelty. The utility model grants exclusive rights similar to those of patents, but has fundamental differences in the length of review, cost and scope of protection. A utility model, having fewer requirements to adhere to, takes a shorter period for examination. It is also a cheaper alternative to patents because it requires the maintenance of annual fees. The term of protection of a patent is 20 years, a period of protection longer than that of a utility model that is protected for 7 years.

An industrial design or model protects the ornamental or aesthetic appearance of an article. a right that gives the owner the exclusive right against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design. The term of protection of an industrial design is 5 years, renewable twice more for the same period.