COUNTRY : REPUBLIC OF PHILIPPINES
CAPITAL : MANILA
LANGUAGE : FILIPINO & ENGLISH
The Philippnes IP office is known as the (IPOPHL)
• Copy of the drawings; ( six views such as front, rear, left side, right side, top plan and bottom plan views. And additional drawings such as perspective and cross-sectional views also may be submitted) - photographs in jpg format
• The full name and address of each creator;
• The full name and address of each applicant;
• The name of article to which the design is applied;
• The filing date, application number and country of the priority application; and
• The priority document
• Statement of Novelty in respect of the articles to which industrial design is applied to. However, not required while registering wallpaper, lace or textile articles.
• Full payment of fees.
• The IP Office may require the application to be accompanied by a specimen of the article embodying the industrial design. The specimen would be a sample or a unit of the industrial product selected for examination, display or study and chosen as typical of its kind.
Statement of Novelty: Novelty refers to originality, something new or unusual. In this context, if the IP office so deems necessary, may direct the applicant to endorse the application and the representations with a brief statement of novelty as claimed over the designs so submitted for registration.
Prior Disclosure destroys novelty of the Design so extreme care has to be taken to maintain secrecy of the Design. However, in the Phillipines, applicant can file the application within 6 months after disclosure which will still retain novelty.
WHY PROTECT DESIGNS IN PHILIPPINES ? Patent law deals in ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of a company or organization as it deals with inventions that are not easily accessible by the general public. Designs along with Trademarks on the other hand, are the ‘visual medium’ which aid in brand projection, recognition, association and retention by existing and potential customers. To prevent rivals from copying industrial designs, it is therefore an important and strategic aspect in the protection of intellectual property rights. Therefore, as with all IP, it is better to begin protection of designs at the earliest before disclosure with the general public.