MANILA — The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) reported on Tuesday that 2023 was a record-breaking year, as far as the number of Intellectual Property (IP) filings are concerned.

While his office has yet to consolidate the total figures for last year, Rowel Barba, Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, said the number of Intellectual Property filings for the first 3 quarters of 2023 has already surpassed the 2022 figures by 1.9 percent.

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“Pinakamataas ang utility models na nag-increase ng 37 percent, followed by industrial design na tumaas ng 9.8 percent. Patents tumaas ng 3.7 percent, ang trademarks tumaas ng .41 percent at copyright deposits naman natin ay lumaki by almost 114 percent,” Barba said in a televised briefing.

“Based on historical figures, we have been increasing by 5 to 10 percent except during the pandemic noong 2020. But ngayon naka-recover tayo and we are still optimistic that we will be able to increase by 5 to 10 percent filings,” he said.

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Barba said that for 2024, his office will focus on generating more public awareness on intellectual property, as well as on strengthening their enforcement system to better protect intellectual property rights of Filipino creators and inventors.

“Sapagkat, sa pag-ikot po natin sa Pilipinas, well, ang observation po natin is, marami pa pong hindi nakakaalam ‘no, kung ano po ba iyong intellectual property. At doon po naman sa ating mga artist and creators, kulang pa rin po iyong kaalaman nila kung ano iyong rights nila sa batas natin,” he said.

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“So, this year po we will concentrate in stronger enforcement system, so pinapalakas pa po natin ang ating powers, enforcement initiatives para po naman lumakas ang confidence ng mga creators natin mag-register. Sapagkat naniniwala po kami na hindi po natin ma-encourage ang ating mga creators, inventors na magparehistro kung hindi po naman natin mapoprotektahan ang kanilang intellectual property rights," he added.

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