The World Intellectual Property Organization’s global database now includes 64 significant Philippine intellectual property (IP) decisions, making them available as references for courts and legal practitioners worldwide, according to WIPO director general Daren Tang.
Tang disclosed the figure during a Sept. 21 meeting with SC chief justice Alexander Gesmundo at the Supreme Court in Manila.
The two discussed further training for judges handling IP disputes as technological change and cross-border commerce add complexity to cases.
The SC said its work with WIPO has included judicial training and specialized resources for judges hearing IP cases. Tang raised the possibility of developing the Philippines as a regional hub for IP training and judicial exchanges.
The planned activities include Philippine participation in the WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum in Geneva on Oct. 14 to 15, where SC associate justice Maria Filomena Singh is scheduled to speak.
The SC, WIPO and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines are also set to hold a national colloquium on IP adjudication on Nov. 6 to 7.
In a separate Sept. 18 address to arbitration practitioners in Taguig City, Gesmundo pointed to the growing role of digital evidence and artificial intelligence (AI) in resolving international disputes.
“Evidence is increasingly digital and technologically generated. Assets may be distributed across jurisdictions. And artificial intelligence or AI is beginning to transform the way lawyers research, analyze, and present disputes,” he said.
Gesmundo said AI can assist with legal research, document review, translation and data analysis, particularly in cases involving large amounts of technical material.
He said its use must remain subject to human professional judgment, citing the SCs governance framework for AI in the judiciary.
“Technology may assist the process, but the responsibility for the process remains human. Technology is a means; justice remains the end,” he said.
