OADR Supports IPOPHL as the Country’s Lead Mediator for IP Disputes

September 11, 2020

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has secured the Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution’s (OADR) intensified support to IPOPHL’s drive for recognition and promotion as the pioneering and leading alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services provider in the Philippines in the field of Intellectual Property.

At a meeting on 04 September, the two agencies agreed that priority areas of the collaboration are capacity-building of IPOPHL’s mediators and promotion of the Office’s multi-modal ADR service.

Executive Director Irene D.T. Alogoc led the OADR in its discussions with IPOPHL Deputy Director General for Operations Nelson P. Laluces, Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) Director Nathaniel S. Arevalo, Assistant Director Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan, and the rest of the bureau’s management committee. 

Specifically, the two agencies have agreed to jointly conduct online mediation seminars on IPOPHL's mandatory mediation, mediation outside litigation and international mediation. This activity is part of IPOPHL’s broader goal of having its mediation service certified by the OADR as compliant with national standards. 

“In this pursuit, partnering with the OADR, the lead agency in overseeing ADR services in the country, will be a critical move for us to accelerate the achievement of our goal, particularly in promotion mediation,” Deputy Director General Laluces said. 

The OADR is the country’s lead agency for promoting ADR as an important means for achieving speedy resolution of cases while also declogging courts dockets.  An attached agency of the Department of Justice, the OADR monitors and develops standards and guidelines on the use of ADR by government agencies, among others.

Securing the certification or accreditation will pave the way for forging a memorandum of agreement (MOA) which will formalize the partnership between IPOPHL and OADR. The MOA is targeted for signing in October.

The OADR cited what the IPOPHL has accomplished so far, especially in the area of mediation, including the numbers of disputes handled, settlement rate, and administration. Also worthy to note is that IPOPHL’s mediators go through annual training from various international partners, such as the European Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization, to continuously improve the quality of its services. 

While the OADR does not handle ADR cases, the OADR nevertheless agreed to elevate all IP cases it comes across before the IPOPHL for its handling. 

“Our ADR services offer a speedier and lower-cost track for justice. This help from the OADR is very much appreciated as we would like to help as many IP rights holders as possible,” BLA Director Arevalo said. 

Mutually beneficial awareness drives

On promoting IPOPHL as the lead ADR service provider for IP cases, OADR has offered to synchronize strategies on raising awareness on their respective functions, seeing that this fulfills each other's goal of promoting IP and ADR.

Acting Chief for the OADR’s Public Information and Promotion Division Darrel Winthrop G. Torres expressed eagerness on the collaboration, citing IPOPHL as “one of the country’s fastest advancing offices in ADR.”

“Its recent implementation of online mediation as its latest demonstration of this status,” Torres added. 

To date, IPOPHL has received 69 of online mediation requests since its implementation in May.

A total of 98 online mediation sessions were already conducted. Three cases have been settled so far through online mediation.

Online mediation, according to the BLA Director, ensures resiliency and delivery of public services, in the face of the pandemic.

IPOPHL and the OADR will be increasing their engagements in the coming weeks to achieve on schedule the goals they agreed on under their strengthened collaboration.### (Janina Lim, Media Relations Officer)