The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are teaming up to further boost the use of patent information on research and technology (R&D) advancements in agriculture and natural resources.
In a news statement issued on Monday, the IP agency said that its unit, IP Business Services and Development Division (IPBSDD), is providing training on patent search and patent mining.
Such initiative is aimed at supporting 17 state universities and colleges and research and development institutions in conducting studies regarding farm and fishery commodities. These are identified in the priority research and development programs of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).
The participants include Cavite State University for its research about coffee; Bohol Island State University, rice; Bataan Peninsula University, Mango, Central Mindanao University, swine; Caraga State University, Cacao; DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute, bamboo; Ifugao State University, banana; Isabela State University, goat; Laguna State Polytechnic University, aqua feeds; and Nueva Vizcaya State University, citrus.
The other chosen researchers are Philippine Carabao Center for dairy cattle; Pampanga State Agricultural University, milkfish; Samar State University, crabs; University of the Philippines Visayas, shrimp; University of Southern Mindanao, rubber; Western Mindanao State University, native chicken; and Western Philippines University, seaweeds/sea cucumber.
“The use of patent information to gain insight on the advancement of technologies concerning particular fields of interest has been part of IPOPHL’s mission of making IP useful for the masses in concrete and tangible aspects made possible through technology and knowledge transfer,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said. “This patent mining project is one example of making IP work in the real world.”
The ongoing collaboration between the IPOPHL and DOST is the second of its kind that promotes the use of patent information in research and development.
The same project back in 2017 to 2019 resulted in 12 private label rights on abaca, bamboo, banana, crab, goat, livestock feed resources, mango, milkfish, natural rubber, rice, shrimp, and swine.
“The IPOPHL’s collaboration with PCAARRD is in the hopes of bringing awareness on patent information as an important resource for developing research projects or funding strategies in various technological clusters even in agriculture” Barba added.
IPOPHL aims to return to the pre-pandemic level of IP applications this year, banking on filings from micro, small and medium enterprises.
Last year, IP applications went down, which Barba attributed to prolonged locked down measures not only in Metro Manila but in other major areas as well. Trademark applications fell by 10 percent to 35,724 while patents shrunk by 9 percent to 3,648. Utility models filings plunged by 45 percent to 1,235; industrial design, 23 percent, 1,259; copyright, 44 percent, 940.