Thursday, June 19, 2025

Filipino IP owners assured  of predictable rules under RCEP

- Advertisement -

Filipino intellectual property (IP) owners and rights holders doing business in any of the member-countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP) could be assured of more harmonized and predictable rules and practices now that the agreement is in effect.

According to Rowel Barba, director-general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), RCEP members commit to ratify and accede to key international agreements on IP which ensures the protection of the IP rights of Filipinos outside of the Philippines, particularly in countries signatory to RCEP.

With the agreement in place, the Philippines can look forward to a regional value chain of innovation and creativity built firmly on transparency, efficiency and cooperation, IPOPHL said.

- Advertisement -

Chapter 11 or the IP Chapter of RCEP, which was negotiated by IPOPHL, affirms the imperative to reduce impediments to trade and investment through the effective and adequate creation, utilization, protection and enforcement of IP rights. It recognizes members’ different levels of economic development and capacity; differences in national legal systems; and the need to maintain an appropriate balance between rights of IP right holders and the legitimate interests of users and the public interest; and a transparent IP system that helps provide confidence to right holders, among others.

Even before the entry into force in the Philippines of the RCEP Agreement, IPOPHL said it has been preparing and already improving its services.

Aside from completing accession and ratification of key international treaties on IP, the agency has   streamlined its procedures, provided reliable e-services in IP administration, built a transparent IP system and continue to strengthen IP enforcement both in the physical markets and in the digital environment.

“Moving forward, we hope to use various provisions to our advantage, such as the Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore (Article 11.53), which is a unique feature for a free trade agreement,” said Barba.

With the rich indigenous, cultural, and environmental resources the Philippines is blessed with, the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and folklore has been an offensive interest for the Philippines even at the very start of the negotiations.

IPOPHL cited the importance of recognizing   the need to protect and adequately safeguard the community intellectual rights of  indigenous and cultural communities, as well as their ownership over products sacred to their culture and communal identity.

As RCEP also puts emphasis on cooperation, IPOPHL will step up to the plate, IPOPHL said.

“We will come to our new partners’ aid in complying with their commitments and finding the best protection and enforcement measures appropriate for their innovative and economic needs. We will impart our best practices and help transform the region into a model for using IP judiciously and flexibly while cognizant of the rules-based trading system,” Barba said.

 

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: