IPOPHL FORGES STRONGER TIES WITH LOCAL STEEL, IRON SECTOR

10 March 2017

IPOPHL officials led by Dir. General Josephine Santiago (seated, middle) recently discussed important matters on intellectual property rights with top-ranking officials of the Phil. Iron & Steel Institution.

 IPOPHL forges stronger ties with local steel, iron sector

Bolsters intellectual property know-how of Phil. Iron & Steel Inst.

     Executives of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently hosted counterparts from the Philippine Iron & Steel Institute (PISI), the premier umbrella organization of steel industry associations and corporations in the country, to provide essential and legal knowledge on intellectual property (IP) protection.

     PISI President Roberto Cola sought legal expertise from IPOPHL to address concerns on the protection of the IP of its member corporations, specifically covering trademarks, patents, industrial designs and utility models (UMs).

     Both parties discussed rules and regulations pertaining to the filing of applications and granting of registration certificates for various IP rights. Also tackled were some of the best practices to avoid protracted and costly litigations.

     IPOPHL Director General Josephine Santiago said that the dialogue with PISI officials manifest the government agency’s leading and active role in upholding the effective IP protection and enforcement among business sectors in the country.

     “The collaboration with PISI is one of our many endeavors to establish strong working relations with companies and industries in the country. IPOPHL seeks to create more partnerships with similar entities to make IP protection an essential element of business strategies among our local enterprises.”

     Providing the PISI contingent essential information on their concerns, IPOPHL Dir. Atty. Leny Raz encouraged the group to protect its IP assets by duly securing their patent grants and registering their trademarks, industrial designs and UMs. She noted that, “IPOPHL welcomes collaborative work with the PISI to protect the intellectual creations of its members."

     For his part, IPOPHL Dir. Epifanio Evasco explained to PISI the concept of a community review system. He walked them through the procedures for granting UMs and industrial designs using the said system, where relevant information such as similar or identical applications that may impact or affect any industry will be shared.

     In the area of litigation, IPOPHL Dir. Atty. Nathaniel Arevalo discussed available legal remedies and options in the enforcement of industrial property rights. In case of disputes, he said, “IPOPHL offers mediation and arbitration services to avoid prolonged trials.”

     PISI president Cola acknowledged the efforts of IPOPHL and its officials, saying that, “We appreciate and recognize the current initiatives of the IPOPHL to strengthen the protection of IP rights as an effective tool in national development. By liaising with the Agency, we in the local steel industry consider the opportunity as beneficial to our common goals.” He said that the PISI is the recognized representative of the steel industry of the Philippines, and is a member of the Southeast Asia Iron and Steel Institute as well as the ASEAN Iron and Steel Council.

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