26 firms in NorthMin acquire IP rights
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 (DoST) 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 Ipophil TWG member, the applications were then officially filed in May 2022. Assisted firms 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 that also acquired the certificate.
Meanwhile, DoST Misamis Oriental was able to assist seven firms. Most of the 26 firms are in the food processing industry.
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.