IPOPHL, DTI-EMB pact widens IP protection for PHL exporters
Philippine exporters will soon gain “broader support” in protecting their intellectual property (IP) assets in international markets through an agreement inked between the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB).
In a statement Wednesday, IPOPHL said it inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DTI-EMB in January to expand the scope of IP projects and services that will encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to register their trademarks abroad.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba underscored the importance of this MOA for Filipino businesses “exploring the global stage,” saying securing IP rights can help businesses tap the unrealized value of their export goods.
He advised these businesses to “ensure IP is part of their strategy in increasing their export value.”
“Apart from offering the ability to protect export products from counterfeiting, piracy and other forms of infringement, securing IP rights can support businesses in taking advantage of the yet unrealized value of their export goods,” the IPOPHL chief added.
According to IPOPHL, the current MOA is aligned with the goal of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028 as it aims to “more than double” current exports to $240 billion in 2028 and “turn the Philippines into one of the world’s leading exporters of high-value products and services.”
Barba said with protected IP assets, exporters could help realize the vision of the exports development plan “from increasing the mindshare of Philippine products in the global market to developing a strong and innovative export ecosystem.”
For her part, DTI-EMB Director Bianca Pearl R. Sykimte said the partnership with IPOPHL is a “concrete response to local stakeholders’ needs as recognized by the PEDP and based on our continuous engagements with them.”
Under the agreement, IPOPHL is tasked to identify potential exporters that qualify under its IP incentive package programs with the help of the DTI-EMB.
The intellectual property office attached to DTI is also tasked to enable the DTI-EMB on trademark protection and enforcement as well as on the Madrid Protocol for international trademark registrations; and assist the DTI-EMB’s sponsored applicants under the “Juan for the World” program.
For its part, IPOPHL said the export marketing arm of DTI would promote the use of IP as valuable business assets to exporters, as well as the “Juana Make a Mark” and “Juan for the World” programs, to SMEs applying for trademark registration.
DTI-EMB will also sponsor exporters’ basic and designation fees for the Madrid Protocol, subject to the availability of funds.
IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan said this partnership is a “very good opportunity” for both parties, noting that with this collaboration, “I am confident that the PEDP goals, while quite ambitious, will certainly be attainable.”
Under the PEDP 2023-2028, the country aims to become a major exporter of “high-value products by investing in intangible assets, such as intellectual property.”
Citing a study by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2017, the Plan said, “Almost one-third of the total value added of all products manufactured and sold worldwide from 2000 to 2014 was attributed to intangible capital such as technology, design, and brand value.”