Magazine

Volume 18 Issue 2 - Feb, 2026

3 | OPINION
Trademarking holidays
9 | FEATURES
Roses are red, violets are blue: Protecting plant varieties
In legal terms, a patented rose is not just grown – it is licensed.—EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO
13 | FEATURES
The 2026 Asia IP Copyright Rankings
22| FEATURES
The legal landscape of web scraping
The rise of web scraping has transformed how businesses and researchers collect and analyze online data.—EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO
26| FEATURES
IP EXPERTS 2026: UAE
29| FEATURES
The rise of the machines
The ongoing evolution of LLMs has spurred competition between open-source and proprietary models.—EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO
33| FEATURES
New business? Think IP
The best time to start paying attention to IP matters is at the very beginning.—ESPIE ANGELICA A. DE LEON
38| FEATURES
IP EXPERTS 2026: Japan
47| FEATURES
Well-known marks in the Philippines: Policy development and latest cases
Before a mark is recognized and protected as well-known, the same must gain recognition not just in the Philippines, but across various jurisdictions, as well.—JOAN JANNETH M. ESTREMADURA AND CLAIRISSE PAULINA M. VALDECANTOS
55| CORRESPONDENTS
Asean
• The defendants were charged with using a registered trademark without the consent or authorization of the trademark owner in relation to cigarette products bearing the mark “John”.
India
• In a landmark ruling, the Calcutta High Court has held that a graphical user interface can qualify for registration as a design under the Designs Act, 2000.
Philippines
• In an environment where consumers rely on memory, pronunciation and word-of-mouth, aural similarity can – and often does – tip the balance in favor of confusion.
Russia
• Court removes power from claimant to determine calculation of compensation