The direct contribution of trademark-intensive industries to gross domestic product in the Philippines stands at 17 percent, lower than the 21 percent in Indonesia, according to Josephine Santiago, director-general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
In a speech at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)-IPOPHL Summer School in the Philippines on September, Santiago said the trademark-intensive industries led by manufacturing, information and communication technology and construction also have a 41 percent indirect on the economy, drastically lower than the 51 percent registered in Indonesia.
At the same time, these industries account for 15 percent of the overall employment in the Philippines.
These numbers are consistent with Asean where the direct contribution of trademark-intensive industries to GDP in four countries in the region namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, ranges from a fifth to a third of their GDPs.
Santiago said when interlinkages between sectors are factored in, these figures level with that of the United States and the European Union.
“With these findings, we can infer that the IP system allows a level playing field between developed countries and emerging economies. Having a fair chance of winning a market is what creates the urgency for creators and innovators around the world to act fast and protect their intellectual property rights, especially at the rate at which globalization is currently moving,” Santiago said.