MANILA - Trademark applications with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines during the first half of this year rose 7.8 percent year-on-year, as the agency claims improvements in services.
Data from the agency showed 9,937 trademarks filed with IPOPHL during the first six months of the year. End-June trademark filings were higher than the 9,211 during the same six-month period of last year. More than half of the applications were from locals, with two-thirds of the local applicants coming from the National Capital Region.
“IPOPHL has been steadfast in its rallying call to emphasize the importance that trademarks play in pursuing businesses,” the agency said in a report.
According to IPOPHL, it has streamlined processes so that trademark registration will now take just less than one year, compared with a four-year timeframe before.
The agency said its Trademarks Online Filing System also helped in making its services accessible to applicants from outside Metro Manila.
“Applications filed through the TM Online comprise 9 percent of the total filings from 2006 to June 2012. For 2012 alone, online filings reached 17 percent of the total applications received,” IPOPHL said, adding that “despite the heavy rains and cancellation of work on August 7 to 8, the office was still able to receive a total of 10 trademark applications” online.
Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines defines trademark or “mark” as “any visible sign capable of distinguishing the goods (trademark) or services (service mark) of an enterprise and shall include a stamped or marked container of goods.”
source: interaksyon.com
