From Observers to Global Players: Building a Better IP System for MSMEs and Startups

Can intellectual property (IP) rights be effectively used as a tool in structuring national development? In December 2019, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) released the National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPS), which was crafted under the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). This project began way back in 2017 and was […]
If 90% of Startups Fail, Why Bother Patenting?

The Philippine Innovative Startup Act of 2019 defines a startup as “a person or entity that aims to develop an innovative product, process, or business model” (RA 11337, Sec. 3g). Innovation, according to the same law, is the creation of “new ideas that results to the development of new or improved products, processes, or services, […]
Why Startups Don’t Patent

What can intellectual property (IP) protection do for startups? Are patents worth it? Is there a need to patent when the technology can be kept a trade secret? Whether you’re a startup CEO building up your business or just someone with an idea, it is helpful to think about your intellectual property assets at every […]
Digitization In Retrospect: A General View Of The Effects Of Digital Globalization In The Business Ecosystem

Less than a tenth of a second. That’s how fast someone can access information over the Internet – be it an obscure idea or a ubiquitous piece of knowledge. Communication that usually takes days, weeks, months, or even years, is now seemingly instantaneous. And this interconnection offers a vast array of opportunities for the ready […]
The real picture behind patenting and firm performance

A new study published recently in the International Small Business Journal suggests that patenting has a negative effect to startup performance. Gavin Reid of Cambridge University and Bernadette Power of University College Ireland analyzed the performance of 32,649 (3,869 high-tech, 7,574 medium-tech and 21,026 non-tech) startups based on data taken during the 2005 and 2012 […]
Freedom-to-Operate for RDIs: Maximizing the Opinion to Prevent Patent Infringement

So you are a technology transfer officer of a research and development institute (RDI). You’ve learned, after attending numerous intellectual property seminars and workshops the importance of patenting your RDI’s technologies first before disclosing them in public, whether in a conference presentation or through journal publication. Through your initiative, you were able to secure several […]