MANILA – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) will be providing patent services to Brunei Darussalam IP Office (BruIPO), processing a maximum of 200 applications a year over the next five years.
In a statement Monday, IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said the BruIPO is outsourcing patent services following the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in December last year with BruIPO Registrar Attorney General Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmad Bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa.
“This is the first time another IP office has outsourced IPOPHL for a core service. This shows increased confidence in the efficiency of our processes and our tested and proven expertise in emerging technologies after over 76 years of conducting patent search and examination,” Barba said.
Barba said IPOPHL is one of the fastest IP offices in Southeast Asia in terms of turnaround time for patent applications.
IPOPHL is also the first in the region to establish a patent quality review system, which was given a high rating of compliance with international standards.
Aside from providing patent services to BruIPO, IPOPHL’s Bureau of Patent will also provide reexamination and opinions in response to opposition over an amendment to a patent. It will also extend capacity-building activities for BruIPO to help the ASEAN neighbor adopt international best practices in patent search and examination.
“We are delighted that our first-ever client is no less than a friend in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which, like the Philippines, aims to sustain its momentum to recover from the pandemic. We hope this partnership will create more wins for innovation in the ASEAN and serve as a global model for collaborations with meaningful outcomes,” Barba added.
The Philippines’ first patent office was established in 1947 through Republic Act 165. (PNA)