The Supreme Court (SC) led an international gathering of judiciary members and experts who tackled issues to strengthen the judicial capacity, promote consistency in court rulings, and address emerging challenges in the intellectual property (IP) law.

In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 8293, the Intellectual Property Code, protects and secures the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists and other gifted citizens to their intellectual property and creations, particularly when beneficial to the people.

Through Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, the SC said that the recent gathering, which was co-hosted by Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), was a beacon of cooperation and progress.

Justice Dimaampao, vice chairperson of the SC’s sub-committee on commercial courts, said that “effective adjudication of intellectual property cases is a vital safeguard for innovators and creators for whom the Constitution stands guard.”

He reaffirmed the SC’s commitment under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI) to strengthen the IP legal framework.

The National Judicial Colloquium on Intellectual Property Adjudication in the Philippines held recently in Makati City was a partnership with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said the colloquium brought together the country’s special commercial court judges who had completed the Distance Learning Course (DLC) on Intellectual Property Adjudication.

Dimaampao said: “A judiciary that functions like a well-oiled machine serves as a bulwark for the rights of innovators, creators, and inventors, which is essential for maintaining public trust in our institutions for intellectual property.”

PhilJA Chancellor and retired SC associate justice Rosmari D. Carandang emphasized that the program was designed to meet the courts’ evolving needs amid rapid technological change and increasingly complex IP issues.

Carandang highlighted the importance of fair adjudication -- protecting the rights of innovators while ensuring public access to information.

Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena Modesto-San Pedro introduced the WIPO DLC and pointed out its development from a generic program launched in 2017 to the world’s first DLC tailored for Philippine judges.

She noted that the course has been further refined to meet local needs, offering tools for IP adjudication that are sophisticated, reliable, and at par with international standards.

Local experts who participated in the colloquium were Court of Appeals Associate Justice Wilhelmina B. Jorge Wagan, Presiding Judge Karla Regina D. Valera-Chua of the Makati City regional trial court (RTC), Presiding Judge Ethel Mercado-Gutay also of the Makati City RTC, and Presiding Judge Antonio Ray A. Ortiguera of Balanga City RTC in Bataan.

They were joined by IPOPHL Director General Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz; Philippine Competition Commission Commissioner and former IPOPHL patent director Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano; PHILJA professorial lecturer and former IPOPHL director general lawyer Ricardo Blancaflor; and PHILJA Commercial Law Department member and retired RTC judge Elma Rafallo-Lingan.

International experts who also contributed to the discussions were Federal Court of Australia Justice Cameron Moore who spoke on procedures and patent law, and India’s Calcutta High Court Justice Soumen Sen who discussed trademark and copyright adjudication.

WIPO Judicial Institute Director Eun-Joo Min delivered a video message and expressed hope that the colloquium’s group discussions would help judges apply their knowledge to complex scenarios and serve as a model for other countries.