FREE PATENT FILING. Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Director General Rowel Barba (seated left) and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (seated right) sign the memorandum of understanding for the Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Program on Wednesday (March 30, 2022). The program offers free patent filing for women-led enterprises, inventions, and industrial design. (Screenshot from IPOPHL Facebook page)
MANILA – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) promotes patent filing for inventions and designs made by Filipina inventors, designers, and entrepreneurs.
On Wednesday, the IPOPHL and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) signed a memorandum of understanding for the Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Program in line with the celebration of National Women’s Month.
The patent and design protection incentive program offers free patent filing for women-led enterprises, inventions, and industrial design.
“(With) the incentive package for inventions, utility models, and industrial design applications, we hope to achieve the following: encourage women-led MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to protect their innovations and designs; enhance women’s awareness and competency in intellectual property; promote the use of IP to enhance MSME competitiveness; assist businesses and entrepreneurs recover from the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) downturn; and support DTI’s entrepreneurship program,” Bureau of Patents director Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano said.
Ramit-Medrano added the project aims to preserve the country’s gains in closing the gender gap, especially in IP.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Philippines has the second-highest number of women inventors among 74 countries across the globe.
“With the expansion of our IP protection program, from Juana Make a Mark for trademark to Juana Patent and Juana Design, we hope that we will be able to increase gender inclusivity in IP and enhance innovation for MSMEs,” she said.
IPOPHL Enforcement Office head Ann Edillon said the Juana Patent and Juana Design program will run from April 15, 2022 to April 30, 2023, or until the office has received applications for 50 inventions, 150 utility models, and 150 industrial designs.
Eligibility for this program include engaging in business activities identified by DTI as a priority sector; businesses registered with the DTI, Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Cooperative Development Agency; with total assets not exceeding PHP100 million; an enterprise with a maximum headcount of 20; business is running for at least one year; it must be a women-led or women-owned enterprise based in the Philippines; and have not availed funding from the Philippine Inventors and Inventions Incentive Act.
Qualified applications will enjoy waived filing fees, fees for claims and embodiments, first publication fee, and substantive examination fees for inventions.
Patent and design applications from Filipinas will also be prioritized.
“This program realizes IPOPHL’s commitment to our MSMEs, especially women entrepreneurs in helping them utilize the IP system to grow their business. By maximizing the benefits of their IPs, our MSMEs can contribute to sustaining our country’s economic recovery from the pandemic, and this, in turn, will lead to greater inclusive growth and shared prosperity to create a silver-bright future for our people,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said. (PNA)
