The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) outlined plans for an extended partnership to enhance knowledge-sharing and capacity-building. This initiative was discussed during a recent meeting at the EUIPO headquarters in Spain. 

IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba and EUIPO Executive Director João Negrão, who assumed office on October 1, 2023, agreed to extend their bilateral partnership beyond the expiry of their memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2024. 

“EUIPO is regarded by IPOPHL as one of the office’s most important partners,” said Barba. “IPOPHL has shown interest in renewing the bilateral agreement while the MOU is still in existence. This time, the organization would like to explore new areas of collaboration under the direction of Executive Director Negrão.” 

When the parties renew their MOU, Barba listed cybersecurity, AI and the metaverse as some areas in which IPOPHL can benefit from EUIPO’s assistance.

“The metaverse is a relatively new field that is growing quickly. Meanwhile, increasing the pace of our procedure would need optimizing AI technologies. Assisting more rights holders in developing a cyberattack defence plan would improve the efficacy with which they can safeguard their IP assets. IPOPHL expects that the EUIPO would help it better prepare its workforce for the rapidly changing technology world and enable Philippine companies and entrepreneurs to fully realize the value of their IP assets,” said Barba.

Additionally, both offices are considering collaboration in industrial designs (ID) and assessing the economic impact of IP-based industries. These efforts would involve enhancing IPOPHL’s capacity to use IT tools for ID search and examination, sharing best practices for operationalizing the Hague Agreement (the international ID filing treaty that the Philippines is attempting to accede to by next year) and sharing EUIPO’s IP awareness strategies on emerging designs.

- Excel V. Dyquiangco