The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines is currently accepting applications for Geographical Indications (GIs) after many years of consideration (IPOPHL).
The Philippines’ first GI registration system was established under regulations that were published in October 2022.
A GI in the Philippines is defined under the new IPOPHL regulations as any indicator that places a good’s origin in a territory, area, or locality, where a certain quality, reputation, or another attribute of the good is mostly due to that location’s geography and/or human factors.
Registration is required to obtain the protection provided as a GI. A GI’s term of protection is unlimited and does not require renewal. A GI registration may, however, be withdrawn for one or more of the reasons listed in the guidelines.
While the Director of Trade Marks has acknowledged that GI applications can now be filed and an ad hoc division to examine GI applications has been formed, the IPOPHL has not yet formally published any information about the examination process.
Currently, non-Filipino applicants can register their GIs in the Philippines if they are organized or have their primary residence in a nation that is a signatory to TRIPS or other international agreements pertaining to GI protection, to which the Philippines is also a signatory. A government agency with jurisdiction over the GI or organizations or associations with a specific mandate for the regulation and/or protection of GIs must be one of the applicants. The applicants must also be producers, organizations, or associations directly engaged in the extraction, production, or manufacture of the goods covered by the GI or engaged in the trade thereof.
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