IPO streamlines patent, trademark registration

CEBU, Philippines - Patent and trademark registration will now only take five days from the usual three-months processing, this according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPO) to encourage more companies and individuals to register their designs and creations.

IPO-Philippines deputy director general Andrew Ong announced that his office is on the process of streamlining the registration procedure.

At present, applying for a trademark registration with the IPO would take four to six months, but Ong said as soon as the streamlining program will be completed, trademark registration processing would only take five days.

Trademark for designs, should be given a short period of time, Ong said as trend is fast moving, long term release of trademark will affect the businesses, especially those in the creative sector.

Ong admitted that because of the months processing of trademark registration releases, most companies and creative individuals do not anymore register their creations thus making it more susceptible to imitation, or copying.

A trademark is a sign that distinguishes the products (trademark) or services (service mark) of an enterprise, which includes the container of the products or the packaging.

If it’s only a name or a designation of an enterprise, it is termed trade name. A collective market on the other hand, is used by different companies under the control of the registered mark owner. It distinguishes the origin or any other common characteristic of their products and services.

A Patent on the other hand, is an exclusive right granted by the state though IPO-Philippines to a patent owner for a product, process, or an improvement of a product or process for a specified period.

A Patent for inventions, however, can not be shortened because of some technical requirements, even in the United States Ong said it will take five to 10 years for the inventor to be given the patented rights.

He said because move means mounting works for IPO-Philippines, his office may be able to implement the shortening or streamlining of patent and trademark registration in the next one to two years.

IP Philippines is the lead agency in the country mandated to implement state policies on intellectual property (IP). It was created by Republic Act No. 8293 or otherwise known as Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (IP Code) signed into law on June 6, 1997.

Ong hopes that with this move, more companies and individuals will be encouraged to register their creations, services, in order to compete effectively in the global market, as well as protect their rights to be copied.

Part of the streamlining of processes is the IP-Philippines’ effort to lessen the cost of IP registration, which deemed to be expensive and time consuming.

In Cebu, specifically, there are only a handful of companies, and individuals who were able to get their trademark and patent rights at the IPO.