The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it is building on the recommendations of the Korean Invention Promotion Association (KIPA) to fill in the growing demand for intellectual property (IP) professionals working in the innovation, creativity and business markets in the Philippines.
The IPOPHL said the recommendations stemmed from a seven-month knowledge-sharing program (KSP) that ended last month. The program, it added, ran a series of policy consultations about IPOPHL’s strategy and efforts in strengthening IP-based professions.
IP Academy Officer-in-Charge Assistant Director Frederick R. Romero, emphasized that the comprehensive study conducted by the Korean intellectual property group will “better equip” the IPOPHL in expanding capabilities in IP professions.
“This partnership opens the possibilities to broadening horizons for our IP professionals,” Romero said.
Among the recommendations of KIPA are the development of a national IP human resource development framework and a certification system on specific IP professions.
Meanwhile, IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba hailed the completion of the knowledge sharing program, noting that it is a “timely development” as filings are beginning to recover, indicating renewed demand for IP protection.
“This boost in demand for protecting new IPs also raises the need for IP professionals who are skilled and learned enough to safeguard these new intangible assets,” Barba said.
“These recommendations welcome the findings of this cooperation as a chance to further meet the demands of the growing IP market,” the IPOPHL chief added.
The agency said the study has also given IPOPHL more insight on how to develop the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), currently being finalized by the IP Academy that can enhance the professionalization of patent and trademark agents recognized by IPOPHL.
Through the drafting of the IRR, the agency said it aims to apply the learnings gained from the knowledge-sharing program into the “professionalization of trademark and patent agents.”
Section 7.1 of the Intellectual Property Code mandates the Director General of the IPOPHL to propose policies, programs and projects for the recognition of lawyers or other persons representing applicants or other parties before IPOPHL.
“The study was in cooperation with the Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Korean IP Office [KIPO], the Korea Development Institute [KDI], the Korean IP Training Institute and the KIPA to heighten the professional standards for IP experts and agents in the Philippines,” IPOPHL said in a news statement issued on Thursday.
KIPA is the lead agency that trains IP talents and supplies next generation IP personnel to universities and companies.
In fact, in 2020, the Republic of Korea ranked 4th in having the highest patent filing activities in the world, according to the World Intellectual Property Indicators Report 2021. Further, it ranks 11th in marks and second in designs.
Meanwhile, the IPOPHL cited data from the Copyright Overseas Promotion Association, which reveals that Korea’s content industry contributed 126.04 trillion Korean Republic Won or 6.5 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.