IPOPHL champions IP protection at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025
October 20, 2025
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) participated in key discussions at the ongoing Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, where the Philippines proudly serves as Guest of Honor for the first time in the fair’s decades-long history.
Held on the sidelines of the world’s largest book trade event, the session brought together global publishers, authors, policymakers and cultural leaders to engage in critical conversations shaping the future of the publishing industry.
Representatives from IPOPHL joined the Philippine delegation of over 400 creatives and stakeholders, moderating various talks in the Asia Stage which touched on intellectual property (IP) management, licensing strategies and the protection of creative works in the digital age.
One of the key sessions was “Creative Industries and Publishing,” moderated by IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan, which explored the economic and cultural value of the creative sector and its essential role in the global publishing landscape. The panel also touched on how copyright and IP can empower creative professionals, support entrepreneurship and promote fairer access to global markets.
The session also touched on the role of copyright and IP in empowering creative professionals, supporting entrepreneurship and advancing policy frameworks that ensure a global level-playing field for content creators.
Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (BCRR) Director Emerson G. Cuyo took charge of the panel that discussed “Publishing in the Time of AI” to explore the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry, from authorship and copyright to creative production and licensing.
In another session, Leonor G. Reyes, Chief of BCRR’s Creative Sector Development Division, moderated the panel “Comics: From Fantasy to Reality,” which explored the evolution of comics from artistic expression to commercial storytelling. Reyes guided the discussion on the strategic use of IP to protect creators, scale original content and respond to the growing global demand for Filipino graphic literature.
Representing the Philippines at the Asia Stage, the panels moderated by IPOPHL offered a glimpse on the opportunities that come with having an IP strategy in publishing.
The Asia Stage is a platform envisioned by Rex Education, brought to life in partnership with Frankfurt Buchmesse and supported by the National Book Development Board, where Asia’s literary voices are given the spotlight.
The Philippines’ Guest of Honor status at Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 serves as a historic milestone, spotlighting Filipino literature, imagination and creative industries on a global stage. Under the theme “Imagination Peoples the Air,” a line from Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere,” the country showcases over 700 titles across genres and languages, alongside cultural performances, publishing forums and other events.
The Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 runs from October 15 to 19 at the Messe Frankfurt Exhibition Grounds in Germany.