The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) reported a 4.4 percent increase in applications seeking registration for the protection of intellectual property works in the first nine months of 2022.

According to IPOPHL, the Jan.-Sept. filings for trademarks, patents, utility models (UMs) and industrial designs (IDs) stood at 36,709, expanding from 35,172 in the same period in 2021. The nine-month total was also 3.1 percent higher compared to the same period pre-pandemic in 2019.

“The latest figures show impressive recovery in IP filings as we are on track to exceeding the pre-pandemic volume. This is largely driven by increased economic activities as several areas where quarantine restrictions have de-escalated to their laxest yet,” Director General Rowel S. Barba.

Barba explained that the improved IP applications for registration is reflective of the Philippine economy’s remarkable growth of 7.8 percent in the first nine months of the year, a faster growth compared to the average GDP of 5.1 percent in January to September 2021.

Pushing the growth were trademark filings, which grew by 5.6 percent to 31,665. Residents accounted for 62 percent or 19,762. Patent filings climbed 2.3 percent to 3,116, with non-residents contributing 90 percent or 2,807.

Industrial designs (ID), which protect the unique appearance of a product, inched up one percent to 923. The biggest boost came from non-residents at a 56 percent share or 516.

However, utility models (UM), which provide patent-like protection at a shorter duration and with a less rigorous application process, contracted by 17.2 percent to 1,005, with residents making up 96 percent or 960.

“As IPOPHL also ensured strong presence in various channels to help more Filipinos protect their IP, we are confident in maintaining our recovery momentum throughout the rest of 2022,” Barba added, noting that IPOPHL has been exceeding various targets on IP awareness for the year, such as in terms of the number of learning events held, participants involved and media presence.

The bulk of trademark filings were in pharmaceuticals, health, cosmetics (with a 19.0% share), followed by agricultural products and services (16.8%) and scientific research, information and communication technology (14.5%).

Patent filings were concentrated on pharmaceuticals (29.3%); organic fine chemistry (11.6%) and biotechnology (8.6%).

In ID applications, means of transport or hoisting contributed the most (18.7%), followed by packages and containers for the transport or handling of goods (9.1%) and furnishing (8.4%).

Most UM applications were in food chemistry (46.8%); other special machines (9.1%) and IT methods for management (4.4%).

Meanwhile, registrations for copyright jumped 69.1 percent to 2,602, mostly driven by books, pamphlets, articles, e-books, audio books, comics, novels and other writings (29%); other literary, scholarly, scientific and artistic works (27.8%); and drawings, paintings, architectural works, sculpture, engraving, prints, lithography or other works of art, models or designs for works of art (9.3%).