IPOPHL

2020 was also marked as the year with the steepest drop in trademark and utility model applications.

The rules revised the 2010 version and took effect on Nov. 16, 2020. Specifically, it makes IP litigation less costly, faster and in sync with newer laws.

Of the intellectual property violations this year, IPOPHL said 79 were operating online – 53 from Facebook, seven from Shopee, six from Lazada, three from YouTube, and one each from Carousell, Instagram, and Vineyard.

42% of the intellectual property rights violations in the country from March to June 2020 were piracy activities, including illegal streaming and illegal reproduction of copyrighted content.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines received 80 reports and complaints of IP violations in the first semester of 2020, 66% higher than the 47 reports received in 2019.

Aside from illegal streaming and illegal reproduction of copyrighted content such as movies and anime, IPOPHL said there has been an increase in intellectual property violations for e-books with the rise of distance learning.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said House Bill 6122 or the proposed Internet Transactions Act would help the agency perform its mandate to protect intellectual property rights and create an e-commerce bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry.

The move, the agency said, that not only contributes to shaping the “new normal” but also furthers its digital transformation journey.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) received a record-high in annual filings for intellectual property protection totaling 47,282 last year, a nearly 10-percent rise from the 43,300 applications in 2018.

The IPOPHL has published on its website and social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn) a visual step-by-step guide to apply online.