The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) said dispute resolution services will resume as it now allows mediation proceedings to be held online.
The move, the agency said, not only contributes to shaping the “new normal” but also furthers its digital transformation journey.
Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-12, signed by IPOPHL director-general Rowel Barba and issued on May 4, revised MC 2020-11 to give way for the holding of online mediation due to the Covid-19 crisis.
“The new issuance ensures the safety and convenience of the parties and the mediators, as well as the continuance of mediation services during the modified enhanced community quarantine and beyond,” Barba said in a statement Thursday, May 21.
Barba said the office expects its mediation service’s transition to the digital environment as a transformative step that “inspires us to further expand our suite of online services.”
“Increasing our use of digital solutions will definitely make IPOPHL’s services simpler, faster, more cost-effective while ensuring continuous operations even in a crisis,” he added.
Mediation, IPOPHL’s main alternative dispute resolution service, enables parties to settle their domestic or cross-border intellectual property and technology disputes out of the traditional litigation.
This, it added, provides for an efficient and cost-effective way of resolving the dispute compared to the tedious, costly, and protracted litigation process.
Mediation also encourages settlement of disputes where the parties exercise autonomy and are assured confidentiality, the agency said. This platform for alternative dispute resolution promotes the business interests of both parties, it added.
