In its quest to protect intellectual property (IP) and move further in commercializing investors’ technologies here and abroad, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently sealed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS). 

Under the MOU, IPOPHL will capacitate FIS to provide IP expertise to its members, provide technical assistance under the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP), extend support on enforcement concerns, and help build stronger linkages between FIS members and agencies that can boost inventors’ exposure in local and international markets. 

While the FIS, for its part, commits to actively support and work with IPOPHL in raising awareness, promoting respect in IP and encouraging its members to register and enforce their IP rights, as well as their technology transfer agreements.

The MOU was signed by IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba and FIS President Dr. Ronald Pagsanghan last week at the IPOPHL office in Taguig City.

Together, IPOPHL and FIS will support each other’s endeavors towards elevating the country’s innovation scene.

“This partnership will undoubtedly encourage other Filipinos to start their IP journey as well, leading to more creations that could change society for the better,” DG Barba said.

Under the MOU work plan which will lay down the specific activities both parties will respectively and jointly undertake, IPOPHL will also work to have a registry of all inventors and innovators and their patents. 

DG Barba added that IPOPHL will also ensure that FIS members are provided support to avail of its incentive programs for independent and starting inventors. 

Among them are IPOPHL’s Inventor Assistance Program, which links independent inventors to pro bono patent experts for assistance with the patent application process; its Youth IP Incentive Program, which waives certain fees and provides start-to-finish customer support in IP application; and its Juana Patent and Juana Design Protection Incentive Program which waives some application fees for eligible women inventors. 

While the new partnership could further the Marcos Administration’s goal of pushing the Philippines to leap higher in the Global innovation Index ranking by 2028, FIS’ Pagsanghan said the goal of the collaboration extends beyond “just rankings and membership.” Pagsanghan said the new partnership also marks inventors’ increased trust in government. 

“Inventors fear that sharing their invention prototypes with institutions will expose their future IP assets to theft. This fear dampens the spirit of collaboration and the inspiration of inventors who are discredited from what they have created and seek to further develop as technologies that Filipinos could be proud of” Pagsanghan said. 

“Through this MOU, we encourage our members to protect and commercialize their inventions, ensuring they receive the recognition and compensation they deserve. This partnership is more to just rankings and members but about empowering our inventors to dream bigger, aim more and contribute significantly to our nation's progress together with the support of IP abilities we look forward to developing through IPOPHL’s assistance and dedication,” Pagsanghan added.

The FIS is the oldest state-mandated institution to support inventors and advocate for the progress of the local innovation landscape, its establishment dating back to 1943.

Known as one of the largest inventor societies in the country, the FIS currently boasts a membership of over 500 members nationwide, all of whom have met the group's strict membership requirement of having at least one registered patent or utility model.