The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is continuing its aggressive roll-out of intellectual property offices outside of Metro Manila in the second half of the year as it launched the sixth IP satellite office in Luzon and the second in the Bicol region on Tuesday, September 4.
To better serve entrepreneurs, MSMEs, inventors, creative and innovative individuals in Luzon desiring to register their intellectual property, IPOPHL has established the IPSO Naga office in DTI Camarines Sur provincial office.
“The swift expansion this year is in line with our goal to build a groundswell in IP awareness, especially outside of Metro Manila. We’re expanding our reach to these new territories to advance the use of IP to businesses, inventors, and any IP creator for their competitive advantage and spur innovation,” IPOPHL director general Josephine R. Santiago said.
“At the same time, we’re striving to push this “first-mover” filing mindset in trademarks. We are encouraging businesses to apply for registration of trademarks prior to registering as a business or even prior to commercialization,” she added.
In Luzon, total IP filings — copyright deposits, patent filings, and trademark filings — have amounted to 430 filings, taking up 38 % of all IP filings in the 11 operational IPSOs for the first quarter 2018.
Among the five existing Luzon IPSOs, Legazpi ranked first in terms of IP filings in Q1 2018 with 109 in total IP filings. Tuguegarao came second with 103, followed by Pampanga with 88 IP filings for Q1. Baguio is at fourth spot, with 79 IP filings in Q1, and IPSO NCR receiving 51 IP filings.
Naga is the third IPSO launched by IPOPHL this year. It first launched Dumaguete in May, and Zamboanga in August. It is slated to launch the last IPSO for the year in Vigan, capping off 2018 with 15 IPSOs overall.
“We’re hoping to finish 2018 with 15 IPSOs. This in line with our goal to bolster the awareness of intellectual property nationwide, while targeting 50 percent growth in IP filings in 2018,” Santiago reiterated.
