Trademark filings in the Philippines reached 21,751 in the first half of 2024, up by 16.94 percent from 18,599 in the same period last year.
The figure also represented 86 percent of the total 25,263 intellectual property (IP) filings from January to June 2024.
“Given that we are already halfway through the year, I am confident that trademark applications for 2024 will surpass last year’s figures,” said Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) director-general Rowel Barba at the opening of the three-day Philippines Trademark Conference 2024 Tuesday.
“This trend reflects the increasing importance individuals, businesses, and organizations place on brand protection through registered trademarks,” he said.
Trademark applications accounted for 41,953 filings, representing 84.2 percent of the total 49,832 IP filings in 2023.
Barba said that even during the pandemic, trademarks remained the dominant category, bouncing back strongly in 2021 and exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 2022, signaling a robust economic recovery.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reported that trademark applications globally reached 15.5 million in 2022, comprising 66 percent of total IP applications.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual emphasized that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which form the backbone of the Philippine economy, would significantly benefit from robust trademark protection.
“Trademarks level the playing field, allowing small businesses to compete effectively with larger, more established brands,” he said.
