May 2021 | International Law Alerts | Intellectual Property

Government officials at the recent Intellectual Property (IP) Grand Forum called on MSMEs to raise their innovative capabilities and protect all IP-able assets in the process, especially as they expand to e-commerce and into its global competitive environment for recovery.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) once again received from the Commission on Audit (COA) an “unqualified/unmodified opinion” for its financial records last year, the best auditing mark which can only be achieved if an entity’s financial statements are free from “material misstatements.”

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently renewed its partnership under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and enhanced its terms of support in improving intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement in both home countries.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) signed on Monday a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the largest business group in the country, to renew and expand their commitments in enabling more businesses to protect their intellectual property (IP) rights and optimize them to rebound stronger from the pandemic.

In business, having extensive and up-to-date knowledge about an industry is a key for success in whatever phase of development. For business in ideation stage, for instance, knowing current and emerging trends could help them develop product or service differentiation strategies. For dominant players, business intelligence is imperative to stay relevant, especially in a world where tech disruptions battering legacy companies out of competition is the new constant.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday, May 5, threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries, but angering pharmaceutical companies.

UN chief Antonio Guterres believes vaccine makers should allow other companies to produce versions of their COVID-19 shots, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday, May 5, as the World Trade Organization discussed waiving patent rights to boost supply to developing countries.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Friday said waiving intellectual property rights on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines is not only morally right, but would ensure people’s survival amid the pandemic.

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with protected intellectual property (IP) and positive branding strategies have defied store closures and revenue losses that marked the first pandemic year, according to industry stakeholders.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday called for waiving intellectual property rights protected by patents for Covid-19 vaccines in order to speed up production to assist countries in need.