THE Philippines and Mexico signed a new and expanded intellectual property (IP) cooperation agreement that aims to assist in growing trade and transfer of innovation between the two countries.
The signing of the IP agreement happens on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation IP Rights Experts’ Group (APEC-IPEG) meeting in Cebu City where the Philippines is the host country and Mexico is the chair of the APEC-IPEG meeting.
“With the Mexico delegation present, in full force, here in Cebu City, we took this rare opportunity to finalize an expanded IP agreement. 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,” said Allan B. Gepty, deputy director general/OIC DG of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
The agreement builds on the technical collaboration agreement signed by the Philippines and Mexico in September 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland. Under the agreement, the IPOPHL and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (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 SME development projects. (PR)