The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), with the support of the Japanese government and companies, strengthens its capacity and that of local enforcement authorities to identify counterfeit Japanese products as Japanese companies show increasing interest in expanding in the Philippines.
In partnership with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and member companies of the International Intellectual Property Protection Forum (IIPPF), IPOPHL held a training seminar which gathered various members of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR).
The Japanese firms, namely the Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Kubota Corp., KYB Corporation, Mazda Motor Corp. and Seiko Epson Corp—along with JETRO and the JPO, made a courtesy call with the newly minted Director General Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz who assured them of IPOPHL’s ongoing efforts to build an enforcement regime that with faster and more efficient resolutions.
Japanese companies at the event pointed out the Philippines’ growing importance to their business and as a trading partner of Japan, hence, the need to foster an enforcement system that effectively protects the reputation of Japanese brands and their customers’ welfare.
Japan is the country’s second-largest trading partner, with a total merchandise trade reaching $20.74 billion in 2023.
IPOPHL recognizes the challenges posed by lengthy judicial proceedings in the aftermath of criminal crackdown. To address these challenges, IPOPHL offers alternative methods of enforcement which can lead to more efficient resolutions, she said.
These include strengthening collaboration with e-commerce platforms to facilitate prompt removal of counterfeit listings under the E-Commerce MOU and settling IP disputes through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as the IPOPHL’s Mediation Outside Litigation and Rules of Procedure on Resolution of Actions without Provisional Remedies (RAPID Rules) under our Bureau of Legal Affairs.
