IPOPHL, APAC IP offices and WIPO Sustain Collaboration in Weathering COVID-19 Impact on IP Landscape
July 27, 2020
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) joined the first online version of the annual Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Conference (HIPOC) on July 23, 2020 where strategies of underlining IP's relevance in a crisis took center stage in discussions.
The meeting serves as a platform between the Heads of IP Offices in Asia and the Pacific and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to identify areas of services that need enhancing in order for IP offices in the region to improve productivity and sustain efforts that serve the demands of their respective jurisdictions.
"The importance of HIPOC cannot be overemphasized. And in the face of this global health concern, this platform for dialogue becomes more significant as we welcome new information and ideas," IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said.
"As the world tries to find a cure for the COVID-19 virus, international cooperation becomes more meaningful. The spirit of multilateralism at the core of the World Intellectual Property Organization enabled the development of a well-balanced and robust international IP system in place. It is the same spirit of cooperation that has enabled us, Members States, to fulfil our mandate, even taking the extra mile in serving our constituencies. IPOPHL is hopeful that this fire of collective spirit will continue to burn brighter in the many years ahead."
During the meeting, a survey was conducted to check on trademark filings in the region. Of the 15 countries who participated in the survey, 10 or 67% said trademark filings have decreased, signifying the suffering of businesses amid the global economic downturn. Four or 27% said their filings growth is on a plateau while only one gave positive news, saying filings are surprisingly on an upward trend.
Andrew S. Ong, Director of WIPO's Asia Pacific Bureau, which is the lead organizer of the HIPOC, assured that WIPO will continue delivering capacity-building assistance to the region. The guidance from WIPO will enable IP offices to formulate policies that can help their communities realize the benefits of IP during a crisis.
The organization also intends to help in equipping IP offices to embrace the technologies that can enhance their services, and in adopting reliable diagnostic tools to ensure that effective, relevant and sustainable management strategies are employed across the region's IP offices.
This year’s HIPOC, the first-ever conducted online, is themed "At Home with IP" in recognition of IP Offices' transition to full or partial remote operations as part of the measures employed by many workplaces around the world to curb the spread of the virus.
"On a more fundamental level, IP Offices are enablers of research and development — our indispensable role in the dissemination of knowledge and information, protection of IP rights, diffusion of technology and more importantly, in the promotion of innovation and creation becomes more relevant than ever," DG Barba said.
"This year’s theme, 'At Home with IP' perfectly captures the new normal where we use technology to fulfil our mandate of delivering our services in the comforts and safety of our home to our stakeholders in the comforts and safety of their homes," the IPOPHL chief added.
Participants will reconvene on July 30 to continue the second and last segment of the e-HIPOC where DG Barba will highlight the agency’s initiative of providing uninterrupted service to clients through the effective use of technology.
Aside from the Philippines, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDF, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam joined the e-HIPOC. ### (Janina Lim, Media Relations Officer)