Visit

Philippines

Philippines IP office seeks to form IP task forces as agencies react to WIPO innovation report

The IPOPHL has published an ambitious call for renewed partnerships between the corporate and academic worlds in the wake of a new WIPO report.

29 Jun 2021

“This is a huge deal” – Filipino brand owner speaks out after securing trademark linked to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Talking exclusively to WTR, owner of an Archewell-related trademark in the Philippines reveals plans to sell products on Amazon, although adds: “If the Queen wants the trademark back, I will give it back.”

17 Jun 2021

Exclusive roundtable – how three leading IP offices are stepping up their diversity, sustainability and accessibility agendas

The Long Read: The EUIPO, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the Chilean National Institute share insights into what they are already doing to address diversity and inclusion within the workplace, while reducing their carbon footprints, along with how they plan to improve further.

Latest

View all

21 Apr 2021

“A paradigm shift must take place”: IPOPHL director general outlines roadmap for transforming the ASEAN IP environment

WTR sits down with Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Director General Rowel S Barba to get the inside track on the office’s ambitions for its new role as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Working Group on IP Cooperation. Read more

3 Mar 2021

“I will never give up” – Filipino small business owner on legal battle with Duke and Duchess of Sussex

In an exclusive interview, a small business owner in Manila, Philippines, who is embroiled in a trademark dispute with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has described it as a “duel to the death”. Read more

2 Mar 2021

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in bitter Archewell trademark dispute in Philippines

An entity representing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is pursuing legal action against a small business owner in the Philippines related to their Archewell brand, WTR can reveal, and the dispute is set to be a fiery one. Read more

4 Nov 2020

Surge in counterfeit imports into Southeast Asia: crucial customs strategies for brand owners

Exports of counterfeit goods from China are increasingly heading to Southeast Asia. This guest analysis explores the strategies that rights holders should employ. Read more

Anti-Counterfeiting

View all

7 Aug 2020

Enforcement data reveals destination shift for counterfeits originating in China

The true scope of the illicit trade of fake goods is hard to define, but analysis by Rouse indicates that Southeast Asia is a fast-rising hotspot. Read more

10 Jan 2020

Panda Express lawsuit threat, BTS dispute resolved, and Philippines and Laos registry cooperation: news digest

In our latest round-up, we look at the worst year on record for British retail, the Norway IPO warning of dodgy invoices, Romania implementing an upgrade to its design e-filing system, and much more. Read more

27 Sep 2019

INTA’s Brands Manifesto, Liverpool trademark blow, fighting scammers: news digest

In our latest news digest, we look at INTA’s release of a Brands Manifesto, the Paraguay IP Office conducting another counterfeit crackdown, fee changes in New Zealand, and much more. Read more

19 Mar 2019

Louis Vuitton victory, Apple Pencil confusion, and brand loyalty declining: news digest

In our latest edition, we look at a call for post-Brexit partnerships to combat fakes, looking ahead to the WIPO elections, the IP Office of the Philippines seeking to regulate Facebook sellers, and much more. Read more

Brand management

View all

15 May 2020

St Andrews Links Trust lands in trademark bunker; new Benelux online tools; Gleissner covid-19 donation – news digest

In our latest edition, we look at Hard Rock International acquiring the rights to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the KIPO president getting dunked with flowers, and more. Read more

23 Nov 2018

IPOPHL celebrates record haul, Rospatent promotes benefits of GIs, and emoji-tions run high in China: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at $7 million worth of counterfeit condoms being seized in China, Canada Goose opening an additional office in Beijing, and much more. Read more

7 Nov 2018

Compulsory conundrum: debate surrounds mandatory mediation for IP disputes

The introduction of mandatory mediation in Greece has faced criticism which eventually led to its suspension; a move that has left question marks over whether wider adoption of such a model is viable. Read more

2 Oct 2018

Philippines IP Office to begin mandatory mediation, Donuts adds rights protection feature, and KFC versus KKFC: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at the USPTO collaborating with Saudi IP authorities, a reported rise in fake Irish whiskey, the Kenyan government blaming border countries for its fakes problem, and much more. Read more

Enforcement and Litigation

View all

15 Oct 2020

Innovation at WIPO: spotlight on alternative dispute resolution at IP offices

An exclusive guest post on how WIPO has been working with global IP offices to promote the advantages of alternative dispute resolution services. Read more

11 Mar 2020

Call for more cooperation between government and brands to curb counterfeits in Philippines

Joy Belmonte, mayor of Quezon City, has vociferously opposed the alleged distribution of over 1,000 fake trainers to local athletes and, crucially, has taken action to bolster the work of anti-counterfeiting agencies. Read more

28 Jan 2019

Litigation procedures and strategies: Philippines

The special commercial regional trial courts have jurisdiction over civil actions involving IP rights violations with damages claims of any amount. Read more

24 May 2018

Procedures and strategies for anti-counterfeiting: Philippines

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) continues to be at the forefront of activities geared towards providing adequate, reliable and effective protection and enforcement of IP rights. Read more

Government/Policy

View all

27 Mar 2018

BARCELONA collective mark rejected, battle for Prudential name and Philippines fakes crackdown: news round-up

In our latest round-up, we look at the Philippines government pledging to crackdown on counterfeit goods, a national IP office’s anti-fakes video featuring a naked man atop a tortoise, and much more. Read more

15 Dec 2016

Philippine Action Plan on IP Rights Enforcement

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently held the sixth Philippine Anti-counterfeiting and Piracy Summit with representatives from various member agencies of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights in attendance. The IPOPHL presented the NCIPR’s 2017–2022 Action Plan on IP Rights Enforcement.

27 Oct 2016

Philippines aims high and targets enhanced anti-counterfeiting measures with latest IP rights action plan

The IP Office of the Philippines unveiled its five-year strategic agenda this week, hoping to continue the country’s progress on addressing its deep-set counterfeiting and piracy problems.

14 Sep 2016

Supreme Court of the Philippines affirms Madrid Protocol

The Supreme Court of the Philippines has affirmed accession to the Madrid Protocol, following a petition filed by the Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines against the president’s ratification of the treaty.

IP Offices

View all

26 Sep 2016

Revised rules of procedure for IP cases

The Philippine Intellectual Property Office has issued the IPOPHL Memorandum Circular 16-007 introducing further amendments to the Rules and Regulations on <i>Inter Partes</i> Proceedings, which apply to trademark opposition and cancellation cases, cancellation of patents, utility models and industrial designs and petition for compulsory licensing of patents.

14 Dec 2010

IPO signs rules of procedure for mediation proceedings

In the spirit of promoting and encouraging the use of alternative dispute resolution, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has signed the Rules of Procedure for IPO Mediation Proceedings. The rules, which took effect on October 21 2010, introduce compulsory mediation in certain cases.

Online

View all

22 Nov 2004

'i.ph' domain may become a boon for cybergripers

DotPh, the Philippine domain name registrar, has started offering anonymous
registrations under the 'i.ph' domain, the world's first anonymous domain. 'i.ph'
is intended to support bloggers and individuals who maintain websites for personal
purposes. However, the fact that registrants will not be identifiable means
that mark owners will have little recourse against abusive use of their marks.

25 Mar 2004

PLDT denied preliminary injunction for 'pldt.com'

In what appears to be the first domain name dispute to have reached
a Philippine court, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court has denied Philippine
Long Distance Telephone Company Inc's request for a preliminary injunction enjoining
Philippine League for Democratic Telecommunications Inc from using the domain
name 'pldt.com'.

6 Nov 2003

National Telecommunications Commission set to oversee '.ph' ccTLD

The government of the Philippines has issued a memorandum order stating
that the National Telecommunications Commission will oversee the administration
by private company dotPH of the '.ph' country-code top-level domain. The order
also directs the creation of an advisory board, due to convene later this month,
which will assist the NTC in the exercise of its new functions.

11 Apr 2003

Filipino Senate considers anti-cybersquatting bill

The Senate of the Philippines is considering an anti-cybersquatting
bill, designed to prevent bad-faith domain name registrations. If approved,
Senate Bill 470 will allow the courts to impose criminal sanctions and it will
also strengthen the civil remedies available against cybersquatters.

Portfolio Management

View all

1 Jul 2019

Use requirements for international registrations in the Philippines - what mark owners should know

By the end of 2018, the Philippines had received nearly 30,000 Madrid applications. Once protection has been granted, maintenance of the registration may be tricky as the timeframes for filing a declaration of actual use are confusing. Read more

23 Mar 2018

Enforcement and termination of franchise agreements in the Philippines

We take a close look at the Philippines legislation governing the enforcement and termination of franchise agreements, as part of our series on franchising in Asia and South America. Read more

17 May 2017

Dominancy test determines trademark similarity

A recent Supreme Court decision shows how the Philippines courts must look at elements of the dominancy test to determine trademark similarity. In <i>Seri Somboonsakdikul vs Orlane SA</i>, the Supreme Court ruled that LOLANE was not a colourable imitation of ORLANE due to distinct visual and aural differences that were discerned using the dominancy test.

18 Sep 2015

Philippines

In the Philippines, the rights to a mark are acquired through registration under the IP Code. Nevertheless, the owner of an unregistered trademark can file an action for unfair competition with reference to the passing off of the goods or business of one party as the goods or business of another with the intention of deceiving the public.

Trademark law

View all

21 Dec 2017

Litigation procedures and strategies: Philippines

Any person who believes that he or she would be damaged by the registration of a mark may file an opposition to the trademark application within 30 days of its publication. Opposition proceedings are summary in nature; thus, there is no trial and the parties must submit the necessary evidence to prove their positions. Read more

5 Jun 2015

Too well known for its own good, Apple fails to block MY/PHONE in the Philippines

In a trademark case which has attracted attention in the local media, the IP Office of the Philippines has dismissed an opposition filed by Apple against a Manila company’s attempt to register MY/PHONE. The tenor of press coverage provides yet another example of the challenges faced by a mega-company enforcing its brand against a local ‘David’. Read more

14 May 2015

Multi-agency IP taskforce supports IP rights holders in enforcement activities

The establishment of the National Committee on IP Rights, a multi-agency IP taskforce, is proving very helpful to IP rights holders in conducting enforcement activities. The committee shows how a national IP office can take on the multi-agency problem of IP enforcement and provide a usable solution.

21 Mar 2014

EAGLE case - the setting of the cement wars?

A series of disputes concerning the EAGLE trademark for cement appears to be coming to an end. The Bureau of Legal Affairs, confirming that registration is only a presumption of ownership, held that the evidence clearly showed that Republic Cement and Lloyds Richfield had coined, appropriated and used the mark on cement products before Eagle Cement adopted and filed applications for the same mark for use on identical goods.

Twitter

21 Sep 2021

@WTR_Alerts RT @DreyfusLawFirm: A new company called The Dead Trademark Agglomeration offers the possibility to acquire an expired USPTO #trademark.It… Read more

21 Sep 2021

@WTR_Alerts China - Legal Update Alert: The Chinese Olympic Committee recently publicly reprimanded trademark squatters for att… https://t.co/JKtVMoM8bZ Read more

21 Sep 2021

@WTR_Alerts Don't miss the 25th anniversary edition of the @BrandFinance Global Forum, happening on 30th Sept, 28th Oct and 25t… https://t.co/O6WOI6PQc1 Read more

19 Sep 2021

@WTR_Alerts RT @Catchword: Should they just keep "Washington Football Team"? Descriptive naming is often the best strategy, though has never been app… Read more

Philippines

Latest

Anti-Counterfeiting

Brand management

Enforcement and Litigation

Government/Policy

IP Offices

Online

Portfolio Management

Trademark law

Trending

Twitter