June 14, 2016

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL), held a workshop on June 13, 2016 entitled “Understanding the Use of Industrial Designs in Southeast Asia”.  The Workshop was designed to inform participants about a study being undertaken by WIPO with respect to industrial designs.  The study will examine the use of industrial designs in three Southeast Asian countries, namely Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.  Specifically, the study seeks to discover the answers to the following questions:  (1) who uses industrial designs in the economy; (2) what motivates firms to apply for industrial designs; (3) what is the value of industrial designs; and (4) what are the challenges that firms face when applying for and enforcing industrial design rights. To accomplish the study, WIPO will rely on empirical data based on the unit-record industrial design filing data.  It will analyze the data and survey industrial design applicants.  The partners in this study will be Prof. Ramon Clarete from the UP School of Economics and IPOPHIL, which will be sending out the survey to industrial design filers in the Philippines.

In addition to informing participants about the study on industrial designs, the workshop also provided information about the Hague System, which enables the centralized acquisition and maintenance of industrial design rights through the filing of the a single international application for a single international registration with effect in one or more designated Contracting Parties.  WIPO emphasized the benefits of the Hague System, such as simplicity, cost-effectiveness, efficiency and flexibility.  Currently, there are 65 contracting parties to the Hague System.  The Philippines has already committed to accede to the Hague Agreement in the near future.

March 18, 2016

On February 18, 2016, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) held a consultation meeting to discuss the current status of intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement efforts in the Philippines.

According to IPOPHIL,  the year 2015 has been challenging in terms of IPR enforcement.  The value of seized goods in 2015 was dramatically lower than the value of seized goods for the years 2010 to 2014.  IPOPHIL believes that the lower number is the result of fewer raids conducted  by the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation, as well as fewer visits conducted by the Optical Media Board, while there was almost no seizure and detention done by the Bureau of Customs.  Moreover, IPOPHIL attributes the lower number of enforcement actions to organizational and leadership changes within the various law enforcement agencies.

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December 23, 2015

The International Trademark Association’s Geographical Names Conference was held in the beautiful City of Rome, Italy last December 10 and 11.  Federis was not only a sponsor, but also a participant, with two members of the firm attending the event.

The event was timely given that geographical indications have become a hot topic of debate in current international trade agreement negotiations.  Jurisdictions around the world are facing important policy decisions on how to protect the names of products that are linked to a specific geographic place.

Over the two-day conference, experts from around the world debated on the economic benefits of geographic indications and on the appropriate level of protection to be accorded for such products.  The participants gained insight into brand owner strategies, as well as policy makers’ point of view on how best to enforce GI protection.  The speakers included representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament, WIPO, WTO, as well as brand owners and officers of IP Offices in various countries.  INTA also launched a new member resource “Geographical Indications, Certification Marks and Collective Marks: An International Guide” to assist attorneys in determining how to protect geographical indications, certification marks, and collective marks in various jurisdictions.

The conference was not only an educational event, but also provided a great opportunity for networking among the 167 attendees who represent 48 countries. The participants had the opportunity to feast like the Romans when they all gathered for a dinner in the magnificent surroundings of the Costaguti Palace hosted by seven local Italian firms.  Overall, the event was a success and certainly brought more attention to an important and controversial topic in IP law.

December 5, 2015

Federis & Associates Law Offices hosted this year’s INTA Roundtable in the Philippines.  Aptly titled Behind the Brand: Insider Perspective on Brand Management and Protection, in-house lawyers from the leading companies in three industries participated in a lively discussion of the challenges they face in trademark enforcement in the Philippines, and overseas, as they all expand their markets outside the country.  The session was moderated by Jan Ponce, a Partner at Federis, and was held on Thursday, November 26, 2015 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The discussion kicked off with the discussion by the lawyers of San Miguel Brewery Inc., United Laboratories and Banco de Oro (BDO).  One common concern that was discussed at length was the challenge of complying with formality requirements when filing trademark applications in South America and in the Middle East.

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October 29, 2015

Federis & Associates is proud to be an Executive Platinum Sponsor of a conference entitled “DESIGNS – INTO THE FUTURE: Leveraging the Value of Design Rights as Key Protection and Enforcement Tools” to be held on Feb. 29-30, 2016 in Singapore.  The conference is organized by the International Trademark Association (INTA) in partnership with the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).

Design rights is the key focus of the conference as more and more users are taking advantage of the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Furthermore, as other countries sign on to the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, it will become important for brand owners to understand the impact of this and potential cost savings that could be available when managing their trademarks and design portfolios.  According to INTA, topics for discussion at the conference will include global design and brand protection strategies, the overlap with other IP rights, alignment of design and brand protection strategies to fuel business growth, key learnings from the Apple v Samsung global dispute, alternative dispute regulation mechanisms, and current issues in design law, 3D printing and design on-line.

The firm’s support for this event strengthens its commitment and interest in bringing together experts, policy makers and professionals to engage in a dialogue on important emerging issues in the IP field such as the registration and protection of industrial designs.

Visit INTA’s website for more information.

October 7, 2015

The International Trademark Association has announced that Federis & Associates will host a Roundtable titled “Behind the Brand: Insider Perspective on Brand Management and Protection.”  The session will be led by Federis partner Jan Ponce-Roxas and will take place on Thursday, November 26, 2015 at 2:30 p.m. at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The INTA Roundtables are a series of popular discussions on current trademark topics held in numerous cities around the world.  It is considered by trademark practitioners as an ideal way for members to meet colleagues and stay current on trademark issues.

The roundtable will bring together legal professionals from leading Philippine companies like Banco de Oro (BDO), United Laboratories, and San Miguel Corporation, who will provide their insight based on their recent experiences in brand protection and enforcement in the local Philippine market.

The goal of the roundtable is to provide an opportunity for other in-house attendees to share their own experiences and the challenges they face in brand management and protection, while outside counsel gain first-hand knowledge from the actual experiences of in-house counsel, which will assist them in better serving their clients’ IP needs.

Complete information and registration information is available on INTA’s website here.  You may also contact Jan Ponce-Roxas by email at jponce@federislaw.com.ph.

October 7, 2015

Federis & Associates is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Geographical Names Conference: Protecting and Enforcing Geographic Names, GIs, Trademarks and Domain Names. The conference will be held on December 10-11, 2015 in Rome, Italy.

According to INTA’s website, the conference will join together “experts from around the world including representatives from the European Commission, Hungarian IP Office, Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, WIPO and WTO to gain insight into the economic benefits of Geographic indicators as well as brand owners strategies and potential benefits of association with a PGI or PDO.”

The conference will be a great opportunity for trademark professionals and high-level government officials from all over the world to discuss geographic indications, which is a central topic of debate in current international trade agreement talks.  Moreover, this topic is very timely as different countries and regions around the world are facing important policy choices on how to protect the names of products that have a link with a specific geographic place.  The firm’s support for this event reinforces its commitment to the exchange of dialogue on current hot-button trademark topics affecting trademark stakeholders today.

Visit INTA’s website for more information.

April 21, 2015

In a public gathering attended by various IP stakeholders, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center, announced on April 16, 2015 a recently forged cooperation, which gives parties in dispute over IP rights the option to refer their IP disputes to WIPO’s mediation services.

To formalize this cooperation, IPOPHIL and WIPO signed a Memorandum of Understanding back in May 2014.  Under the Memorandum, IPOPHIL and WIPO established a joint dispute resolution procedure to facilitate the mediation of IP cases pending before IPOPHIL.

Currently, Office Order No. 154, Series of 2010 requires the following types of disputes lodged before the Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) to undergo mediation: (1) administrative complaint; (2) inter partes cases; (3) disputes involving technology transfer payments; (4) disputes relating to the terms of a license involving the author’s rights to public performance or other communication of his work; (5) cases appealed to the Office of the Director General (ODG) from decisions of the Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) and the Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB); and (6)  other cases which may be referred to mediation during the settlement period declared by the Director General.  These cases are referred to IPOPHIL’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Services (ADRS).  The mediation is presided by a mediator, who is jointly appointed by the parties.  The idea for ADRS is to provide a forum, where parties can discuss their issues, and work towards reaching an amicable resolution.

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February 13, 2015

The Philippine Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHIL) announced the names of the most active trademark and patent filers for the year 2014.  The rankings were based on data compiled by the IPOPHIL from tracking the number of filings made by law firms during the 2014 calendar year.  FEDERIS was ranked second in overall trademark filings, and was listed among the top twenty in patent filings.

The top filers were honored in a luncheon hosted by the Director General on December 15, 2014.  The luncheon was attended by government officials and guests and also by representatives of law firms and companies.  According to the Director General, data for trademark and patent filings show yearly increase, attesting to the integrity and reliability of the system that the IPOPHIL has placed while under his watch, and affirming great confidence that the filers have in the system.  He had only praises and appreciation for those who have placed their trust in the IPOPHIL, and by this, he referred to the law firms for being in the forefront of the IPOPHIL’s strong showing year in and year out. The event was the occasion to thank these lawyers and to recognize among them the most active user of the IP system in the country.

For FEDERIS, the event puts in the spotlight what it has always been in the area of IP practice: an unassuming, quiet firm, but with the fire and dedication of the biggest law firms in the country, and standing head-to-head with them when the statistics come in.

January 31, 2015

Federis & Associates is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the International Trademark Association’s regional conference entitled Springtime for Trademarks in Japan. The conference will be held on March 26-27, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan.

According to INTA’s website, the conference will be an “intermediate-level educational event, will be conducted in both the Japanese and the English languages, and will be an ideal venue for trademark owners to meet with outside counsel and foreign associates. Attendees will be able to forge new business relationships with other participants from the region and interact with a number of government representatives.”

The conference is a good opportunity to bring together trademark professionals and high-level government officials from all over the world to discuss trademark topics that are important to Japanese brand owners and practitioners, with relevant perspectives provided by experts from the Asia-Pacific region. Participants can learn from experts who will discuss topics of interest to the trademark community, including the latest trademark developments and trends in the ASEAN countries. The firm’s support for this event strengthens its commitment and interest in bringing together experts, policy makers and professionals to engage in dialogue on important trademark issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region, in particular the South East Asia region which comprises the fastest growing economies in the world.

Visit INTA’s website for more information.