IP filings breach pre-pandemic levels

MANILA, Philippines — Intellectual Property (IP) filings for patents, trademarks, utility models (UM) and industrial designs (ID) increased by 1.6 percent in the first half of the year, driven by easing COVID-19 restrictions and the intensified IP awareness and education campaign, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said.

In a statement yesterday, IPOPHL said UM and ID filings reached 23,410 from January to June compared to 23,048 filings in the same period last year.

The first half filings also exceed the 22,968 filings in the first half of 2019, IPOPHL’s record year for IP applications.

“The increase in the first half is reflective of the eased COVID-19 restrictions that reignited economic activities and IPOPHL’s amplified awareness and education initiatives,” IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said.

IPOPHL reported that trademarks registered the biggest increase at 2.9 percent with 20,300 filings, of which residents accounted for 62 percent or 12,514.

In contrast, non-residents registered 7,786 filings.

The agency said the bulk of trademark filings was in pharmaceutical, health and cosmetic products (with 6,145 counts), followed by agricultural products and services (5,403) and scientific research, information and communication technology (4,697).

Meanwhile, patents saw a 0.10 percent increase with 1,949 applications, 90 percent of which was driven by non-residents with 1,747 filings.

The top fields for patent applications were in pharmaceuticals (1,272); organic fine chemistry (571); and biotechnology (370), the agency said.

UM filings, on the other hand, fell by 21.7 percent to 622 as resident filings, which contributed 94 percent to UM applications, dropped by 23.3 percent year-on-year.

Most of the UMs filed were in fields of food chemistry (211); other special machines (43); and information technology methods for management (39).

Similarly, ID filings slipped by 8.02 percent to 539.

Top industries for ID applications were in transport or hoisting (62); packages and containers for the transport or handling of goods (39); and furnishing (30).

“With our ongoing and upcoming programs and projects to incentivize IP creation, protection and commercialization, IPOPHL hopes to sustain momentum in inspiring Filipinos’ deeper appreciation of the benefits of IP,” Barba said.

“We also hope to encourage more innovative and creative intellectual endeavors this year to help propel a resilient, inclusive and faster recovery of our economy,” he said.