27 October 2016 — The Philippines was cited by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for its work in actively assisting inventors by providing opportunities for free legal service and greater access to the patent system, during the official launch of the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) in Geneva on October 17.

The IAP, a project of WIPO in cooperation with the World Economic Forum, was officially launched following the International Seminar on the Role of Pro-Bono in Facilitating Access to the Patent System, where Ms. Josephine Santiago, Director-General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL), presented the experience and initiatives of the Philippines in encouraging innovation and helping inventors, especially those with limited financial means, protect their work and gain better access to the marketplace.

“Our work in IPOPHIL is fundamentally development-oriented,” said Director-General Santiago. “This is why we want to ensure that our approach is also holistic. From baby steps where we encourage inventors to protect their work by linking them up with patent attorneys, to waiving official fees and reducing the turnaround time for patent applications, we want to ensure that intellectual property is used not for the sake of protection itself but for the greater goal of economic growth through the promotion of a fair, vibrant and dynamic marketplace.”

WIPO Director-General Francis Gurry noted in particular the work of the Philippines in creating a hub that linked universities, research institutions and inventors, adding that the successful pilot effort of the IAP in the three countries of the Philippines, Colombia and Morocco had shown positive results and great potential.

According to WIPO, the IAP has already helped a number of inventors, including those who filed patent applications for a wheel-mounted device designed to help vehicles on slippery ground and a machine converting vegetable refuse into animal feed.

 “As a specialized UN agency, WIPO is naturally imbued with a development agenda. All our efforts should therefore ensure a balance between protecting the rights of the creator and ensuring that the general public is able to benefit from such innovation,” Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations, lauded the ongoing cooperation of WIPO and the Philippines.

“From invention to market and back to the society – this is the context against which we must all view intellectual property,” she added. END