Publications

Philippines – Revision in Patent Rules

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) issued a Memorandum Circular No. 2022-016 on “Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations for Patents, Utility Models and Industrial Designs of 2022” (IRR’2022) which took effect from 20 September 2022. A summary of the relevant amendments to the Rules and Regulations on patents are highlighted as follows. 1. […]

TRIPS waiver in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Philippines

The World Health Organization’s – Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) is a global multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP).1 The TRIPS Waiver refers to the October 2020 proposal by India and South Africa for a brief waiver of intellectual property rights that protect inventions that are required to prevent, contain or treat COVID-19. They […]

Philippines – IPOPHL Clarifies Rules for Filing Divisional Patent Applications

On 1 September 2018, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (“IPOPHL”) issued a Memorandum Circular No. 18-0031 setting out the conditions and considerations when filing a divisional patent application in the Bureau of Patents (“BOP”). According to rules 610 and 611 of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations2 (Revised IRR), an applicant can file […]

Patentability of Computer Related or Implemented Inventions (CRIs or CIIs) in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and India

Patent legislation and practice in the patentability assessment of computer related or implemented inventions differ from country to country. “Computer Related Inventions” (“CRIs”) or “Computer Implemented Inventions” (“CIIs”) has been given an explicit definition in some countries such as in Philippines and India. These countries both define CRIs or CIIs as those inventions involving computers, […]

Interpretation of Rules 610 and 611 of the Philippines’ Revised IRR for Patents and IPOPHL BOP Memorandum Circular 18-003

Following the issuance of Memorandum 18-003 on 17th September 2018 by Ms. Lolibeth R. Medrano, the Director of the Bureau of Patents (BOP), patent Applicants can now file a Voluntary Divisional Application (“VDA”) based on an earlier divisional application. Prior to the issuance of the said memorandum, an Applicant could only file a VDA based […]

Inter-Office Training

At the beginning of 2018, Mirandah Asia kept up its regular practice of uniting delegations of staff from across our various offices, to ensure that common procedures are followed and that teamwork is kept to a high standard. The training programs united staff from our offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Accelerated Examination in Philippines Through PPH Partnership with EPO

In recent years, the European Patent Office (EPO) has partnered with several domestic patent offices in Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programmes, with the aim of speeding up examination processes for corresponding applications filed in participating intellectual property offices. Recently, the EPO has launched new a PPH pilot programme with the patent office of the Philippines […]

Thailand Patent Registry Set to Enforce Modified Examination Regime for Greater Efficiency

Throughout 2017 so far, the government in Thailand has been signalling its intention to revamp the country’s patent system to provide a more efficient standard of service to applicants and inventors. In February, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O Cha pledged to urgently deal with a problem: around 20,000 domestic and international patent applications made to the […]