IPOPHL, JPO deepen patent examiners’ expertise in ICT-based agri technologies

May 29, 2024 

Nearly 40 patent examiners this week immersed in a conducted workshop by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), in cooperation with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), to deepen their expertise in examining agriculture products and solutions that leverage information and communication technologies (ICT). 

The five-day workshop was titled “Cultivating Expertise: A Training on Substantive Examination for ICT in Agriculture Technologies” and was facilitated by two patent experts sent by the JPO. The activity was held in light of the rapid emergence of ICT-based agriculture technologies. 

These combined technologies aim for larger and enhanced data collection and analysis, automation and robotics that could result in increased crop yields; improved quality; reduced waste water, fertilizers and pesticides; early detection and treatment of crop diseases and pests, improved farm management efficiency and profitability and sustainable agricultural practices

IPOPHL Deputy Director General (DDG) Ann Claire C. Cabochan, in her opening message, said such technologies create new opportunities to improve efficiency, precision and sustainability that will be vital to the growth of the agriculture sector.

“By ensuring the protection of these technologies, the country can reap the promises of these synergistic technologies that can make our agriculture sector competitive,” DDG Cabochan said. 

The event provided a comprehensive overview of the technical considerations in reviewing agriculture and ICT technologies, while enabling examiners to be abreast of the latest trends in the landscape.  

The activity also highlighted several specific case studies to enhance the capacity of examiners in determining if an application achieved an inventive step, one of the requirements in patentability. 

IPOPHL’s Cabochan expressed gratitude to the JPO for its continuous cooperation to boost IPOPHL’s capacities in emerging technologies.

“With Japan as a forerunner in the global innovation landscape, IPOPHL sees these activities reaping meaningful outcomes in the long term. We are grateful to the unwavering support of JPO as a truly reliable partner and we look forward to more collaborations to come as the Philippines moves to accelerate its innovation abilities and outputs,” Cabochan said.  

This training is a part of the bilateral cooperation between IPOPHL and the JPO aimed at capacity building that has been ongoing and continuously strengthening since 2014.