IPOPHL

A well-known mark under the new rules is granted a ten-year protection period from the official declaration.

Viva Holdings and its 37 subsidiaries signed on Tuesday, April 15, the E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen protection of its content and retail products across digital platforms, making it the first entertainment-driven company to fight piracy and counterfeiting online through the agreement.

The Madrid Protocol is a WIPO-administered international treaty that makes registering trademarks in multiple signatory-countries simpler and cost-efficient through a single application and payment.

The Rapid Rules provide a simpler path for IPV cases with a claim for damages between P200,000 to P500,000, with no provisional remedies sought.

IPOPHL director general Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz said that while a work enjoys copyright protection the moment it is created, the upward trend signals a societal shift towards greater regard for copyright registration and deposit.

The National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) said it seized P40.99 billion worth of counterfeit products from January to December last year, surpassing the 2023 record.

The agreement signed last Jan. 24 by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the Commission on Elections is said to be the first in the Philippines — and may be even in Asia-Pacific -- in the area of intellectual property protection during the election season.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the appointment of Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz as its new director-general.

The designation of Nathaniel S. Arevalo as OIC comes following the end of term of former director general Rowel S. Barba, effective Dec. 31, 2024.

The adoption ended around 20 years of multilateral negotiations and paved the way for an international regime that streamlines, standardizes, and updates the rules on design protection.