Twenty-six firms from various provinces in Northern Mindanao acquire intellectual property rights through the acquisition of trademark registration. The Department of Science and Technology has successfully assisted these firms through the SciTech Superhighway program. The certificates of registration are from and signed by the Bureau of Trademarks – Intellectual Property of the Philippines, with a 10-year validity period.
In partnership with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) and the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), DOST region 10 was able to endorse these applications. The SciTech Superhighway is a collaborative project of DOST-TAPI and IPOPHIL to strategize ways to streamline and hasten formality examinations of IP applications and other administrative processes up until the financial assistance of the following fees: Filing Fee, 1st Publication Fee, 2nd Publication Fee, and Issuance Fee.
The applications were endorsed during the SciTech Superhighway 11th Technical Working Group (TWG) Deliberation Meeting in March 2022. Proceeding after the actions of the recommendation provided by the IPOPHL TWG member, the applications were then officially filed in May 2022. Assisted firms have finally received their Certificate of Registrations in the last quarter of 2022.
In Bukidnon, there were three certificates of trademark registration given, while in Camiguin, there were six. In Lanao del Norte and in Misamis Occidental there were five firms who also acquired the certificate. Meanwhile, DOST Misamis Oriental were able to assist 7 firms. Most of the 26 firms are in the food processing industry.
Copyright, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets are all different types of intellectual property (IP). Firms with trademark registrations are generally protected in terms of brand identity in the marketplace. It gives the owner the exclusive rights to prevent others from using or exploiting the mark in any way. Aside from being a source-identifier, differentiator, quality indicator, and an advertising device, a protective mark may also bring another stream of income to the owner through licensing or franchising.
In a Facebook post, one of the 2022 trademark registration recipients, Mr. Recarte Bacus of Candiisan Diversified Farm, expressed his thanks to DOST for facilitating their application. “Yeeeeyyy na register na gyud sa Intellectual Property Office (IPO) ang “Tablea ni Candi”. Daghan kaayong salamat Department of Science & Technology (DOST)-Bukidnon sa pag facilitate”, he said.
For 2023, DOST 10 is open to assisting more MSMEs with their trademark registrations. Interested MSMEs may signify their interest by writing a letter of intent addressed to the director of the nearest Provincial Science and Technology Offices. (Raziel Antoniette Bayagna/DOST10)
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