PH seeks stronger ties with Geneva-based WIPO
WIPO Director General celebrates World Intellectual Property Day in the country
25 April 2018
Dr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), will be in the Philippines to take part in the high-level forum, the Intellectual Property Convergence 2018 hosted by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
“We are honored to have the WIPO Director General here in the Philippines on World Intellectual Property Day. Dr. Gurry’s visit to the country demonstrates the strong and sustained ties between IPOPHL and WIPO in continuing to improve the Philippine intellectual property system and make it more relevant to Filipinos,” IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago said.
The Intellectual Property Convergence 2018 forum has been set on World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 and will serve as the culminating event of the National Intellectual Property Month being observed by the Philippines every April. President Rodrigo declared April of every year as National Intellectual Property month by virtue of Proclamation No. 190 s. 2017
The National Intellectual Property Month is themed, “Itaguyod ang Yamang Isip Tungo Sa Kaunlaran” (Foster Intellectual Property for Development), and Intellectual Property Convergence 2018 will see stakeholders in government, private sector, and the academe discuss the challenges and opportunities in leveraging the country’s intellectual property assets to contribute to national development.
IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago will deliver the opening address on the landscape of the Philippine intellectual property system.
Gurry will tackle the implementation of national intellectual property strategies in developing countries like the Philippines amid the ongoing fourth industrial revolution.
The Philippines is developing its own National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPS) to address the cross-cutting issues that impact the intellectual property system
The WIPO Director General will engage Philippine stakeholders in government, private sector, and the academe on a whole-of-government approach in strengthening the intellectual property environment.
The long-standing relations between the IPOPHL and WIPO, under the leadership of Director General Gurry, has contributed to the Philippines’ achievement of several milestones in intellectual property administration.