There has been a continuing shift in the Philippine intellectual property (IP) landscape, beginning with the passage of the Intellectual Property Code (IP Code) in 1997. Coming into effect in 1998, the IP Code resulted in the harmonisation of Philippine IP laws with international standards. In 2014, due to the strengthening of IP enforcement activities, the Philippines was removed from the USTR Special 301 Report, a yearly report released by the US which assesses the level of IP rights protection and enforcement provided by countries with which it has commercial activity. The fact that the Philippines has remained outside the watch list for four years now proves its commitment to sustaining its intellectual property reform. Now, the government's objective is to develop IP as a catalyst for economic development.
October 30, 2017