The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) will unveil in March a global patent library that will link up the country’s top universities to a database of existing inventions around the world in a bid to stimulate local research and innovation.

The announcement came as the agency led by Director-General Ricardo R. Blancaflor signed yesterday an agreement with the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) represented by its private sector cochairman Guillermo M. Luz.

The memorandum of agreement signals the start of preparations for a series of conferences which will launch various efforts in promoting and protecting intellectual property rights.

One of the conferences will be the High Level Forum on Access to Technology for Innovation to be held on March 22 and 23 at the Manila Peninsula where IPOPHL will debut the Innovation and Technology Support Office franchise, a library of patents filed at the World Intellectual Property Office.

Such service will be established within 30 universities such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University.

"Patent information contains global technological scientific information, which can be used by the academe and industry in conducting research and development," IPOPHL said in a statement.

"It is vital to the university’s research initiatives because it helps researchers avoid duplications in research work by ascertaining the disclosed technology," it added.

Innovation is one of the competitiveness areas monitored by the NCC.

"The link between innovation and competitiveness generates economic growth, development, and jobs," Mr. Luz said at the memorandum signing.

Other conferences that will be led by the IPOPHL with the NCC are the National Forum on Geographical Indications (GI) on Feb. 28-29 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City and the Forum on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge on March 21-22 at the National Museum in Manila.

The GI forum will launch the eight pilot products that were chosen for the intellectual property rights venture, namely, Dagupan bangus (milkfish), Batangas barako coffee, Lumban barong, Bicol pili nuts, Guimaras fresh mangoes, Aklan piña cloth, Cebu dried mangos, and Lake Sebu tinalak.

The latter forum, meanwhile, will launch IPOPHL’s efforts to help the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples protect national intellectual and cultural assets through the use IP.

original source: www.bworldonline.com