TO ASSIST the growing trade and transfer of innovation, the Philippines and Mexico will today sign a new and expanded intellectual property (IP) cooperation agreement.
The signing of the IP agreement will be done during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation IP Rights Experts’ Group (Apec-Ipeg) meeting in Cebu City.
This is the third Apec-Ipeg meeting this year hosted by the Philippines. The first one was held in Clark, Pampanga last Jan. 27. The second was in Boracay last May.
It will be attended by over 40 IP experts and policy-makers from member-economies.
Apec-Ipeg is chaired by Miguel Margáin, who is also the director general of the Mexican Institute of the Industrial Property or in Spanish, Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI).
“With the Mexico delegation present, in full force, here in Cebu City, we took this rare opportunity to finalize an expanded IP agreement,” said Atty. Allan Gepty, deputy director general/OIC DG of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
“The Philippines has so many things in common with Mexico. We both were former colonies of Spain and are now emerging as economic powerhouses in our respective regions. This agreement ensures stronger cooperation in IP, which is a critical area in the promotion of innovation, trade and investment,” Gepty added.
The agreement is built on the technical collaboration agreement signed by the Philippines and Mexico in September 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Under the agreement, the IPOPHL and the IMPI vowed to work together to promote innovation, creativity and technological advancement.
The two IP offices agreed to cooperate to ensure the proper administration, protection, use and enforcement of industrial property rights, such as invention patents, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks and geographical indications.
The agreement has paved the way for the establishment of mechanisms for the bilateral development and protection of industrial property between IPOPHL and IMPI.
The scope of cooperation activities covers, among others, IP commercialization, enforcement and awareness. Both countries also agreed to cooperate on small and medium-sized enterprise development projects.