The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) reported a 2.5-percent increase in IP filings in 2023.
Trademarks saw the most filings with 41,953, a 1.2-percent increase from 2022. Resident filings grew at a slightly faster rate of 1 percent compared to non-resident filings at 7 percent.
The top industries with filings for trademarks were pharmaceuticals, health and cosmetics with 19.1 percent share or 12,623 filings, followed by agricultural products and services at 17.4 percent and scientific research/information and communication technology at 13.8 percent.
Patent applications also rose 2.9 percent to 4,544 in 2023 from 4,418 in 2022. The growth was driven by a significant rise of 46 percent in resident filings, partially offsetting the 7 percent decrease in non-resident filings.
Utility models (UM) experienced the highest annual growth rate at 24 percent, with filings reaching 1,847. Resident filings, which accounted for 95 percent, jumped by 23 percent while non-resident filings grew by 37 percent.
Industrial design (ID) applications also showed positive growth of 19.9 percent to 1,488 from 1,241, led by a 49-percent increase in resident filings.
Copyright deposits saw a 76-percent in 2023, reaching a record 6,522. The most popular type of copyrighted work registered was written works such as books, articles and pamphlets, followed by audiovisual works and computer programs.
IPOPHL director-general Rowel Barba said he expects continued growth in IP filings this year amid IPOPHL’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness, collaborate with innovation and technology support offices (ITSOs) and establish more IP satellite offices (IPSOs) and help desks.
“We hope to see more areas realize the importance of IP assets not just in pushing their ranks in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index [CMCI] but also in fueling their residents’ creativity and innovativeness which their very own communities could benefit from,” Barba said.