PHfiling code

Philippines

IPOPHL · Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines

Registration is the easy part here. Keeping the registration alive is where foreign owners lose marks, and it is entirely avoidable.

Trademarks
System
First to file
Madrid Protocol
Member
To registration
~8–14 months
Term
10 years, renewable
Patents & designs
PCT
Member
Utility model
Utility model
Hague (designs)
Not available
Design term
5 years, renewable to 15

Utility models register without substantive examination in a few months. Designs follow the same route, which makes the Philippines unusually quick for product protection.

What to watch in Philippines

Four things that decide whether the filing holds

  • Declarations of Actual Use are mandatory

    Use declarations fall due at set intervals through the life of the mark. Miss one and the registration is removed — this is the biggest single cause of lost Philippine rights we see.

  • Evidence must show real local use

    The mark has to appear on the goods or services as actually sold in the Philippines. Mockups are not evidence.

  • We docket every deadline we file

    Every mark we handle here goes into a watch list with its DAU dates, and we chase you for the evidence.

  • Opposition is available and used

    Watching the register catches conflicts before they become enforcement problems.

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