PH, WIPO Sign Agreements on Designating PH as International Authority on IP, Establishment of IP Center in the PH 

Director General Josephine Santiago of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) and World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry at the signing of the cooperation agreements at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on October 10.

23 October 2017 GENEVA – The Philippines and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) signed a cooperation agreement on establishing a National Training IP Center in the Philippines. Both also signed another memorandum of agreement (MOA) designating the Philippines as an international searching and preliminary examining authority on Intellectual Property (IP).

The Philippines, represented by Director General Josephine Santiago of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL), and WIPO, represented by Director General Francis Gurry, signed the MOAs this morning at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We have come a long way for the designation as an International Authority but I know this is only the beginning of a greater responsibility for IPOPHIL towards achieving its goal of becoming a globally-competitive knowledge economy,” said Director General Santiago, who also expressed her deep appreciation to WIPO for its unwavering support to ASEAN member states particularly when WIPO declared the first day of the General Assemblies as ASEAN Day and for administering the ASEAN exhibit.

Director General Gurry congratulated the Philippines for its achievements in IP, and for its continued robust cooperation with WIPO on many projects and programs, including the recently concluded ASEAN Day at WIPO where the Philippines, as chair of the ASEAN Committee in Geneva, led the preparation with WIPO on featuring an exhibit on IP and innovation.

The WIPO Academy Cooperation Agreement establishes a National Training Intellectual Property (IP) Center in the Philippines, which provides professional and open-access online learning and training.  The training activities are designed to expand the range and impact of training opportunities at the national, regional and international levels.

For the past four years, WIPO has also been assisting IPOPHIL in its preparations for its designation as an international authority. As ISA/IPEA, IPOPHIL will identify published patent documents and technical literature that may have an influence on whether an invention is patentable or not.

The Philippines also signed a Memorandum of Bilateral Cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Intellectual Property Office of Australia, and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canada Intellectual Property Office. END

Director General Santiago and WIPO Director General Gurry sign two cooperation agreements at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on October 10.

Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) Director General Josephine Santiago (left) signs a Memorandum of Bilateral Cooperation with Chief Executive Daren Tang (right) of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) on October 03.

Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Josephine Santiago (left) and Ms. Patricia Kelly, Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of Australia, sign a Memorandum of Understanding on IP cooperation on October 05.

Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Josephine Santiago (right) and Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trademarks, and Chief Executive Officer Johanne Bélisle of the Canada Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation activities on IP on October 05.