Philippine Legal Advice

Copyright Infringement

Copying original and intellectual creations is considered as copyright infringement and is punishable under Republic Act No. 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (“IP Code”). In order to prove copyright infringement, one must show that he has a valid copyright in the work allegedly infringed and that the perpetrator infringed […]

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Philippine Industrial Design

The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines defines an industrial design as any composition of lines or colors or any three-dimensional form, whether or not associated with lines or colors; provided that such composition or form gives a special appearance to and can serve as pattern for an industrial product or handicraft. Simply put, it

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How to Correct Errors in Your Birth Certificate without Going to Court

As a general rule, no entry in the civil register shall be changed or corrected without a judicial order. Hence, the usual process for correcting errors in the birth certificate is to file a petition in court. Fortunately, Republic Act No. 9048, as recently amended by Republic Act No. 10172, allowed the administrative correction of

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Opposing a Trademark in the Philippines

(updated as of 02 October 2024) If someone is seeking to register a trademark that may be confusingly similar to your trademark, you may file an opposition to such trademark within 30 days during its publication in the IPO e-gazette. Marks are published in the website www.ipophil.gov.ph. The Regulations on Inter Partes Proceedings govern petitions for

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How to Terminate an Employee on the Ground of Retrenchment

The right of management to dismiss workers on the ground of retrenchment to prevent serious losses is governed by Article 283 of the Labor Code. This is one of the authorized causes of termination of employment. However, before one can dismiss employees on the ground of retrenchment, four elements must be proven. Firstly, the losses

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Philippine Labor Law: Types of Employees

In any business venture, there are two resources which must be considered: capital and labor. Every businessman knows the saying “to make money, you have to spend money.” Every business entails a bit of risk-taking. The ability and the willingness to take certain calculated risks are almost always essential for every business venture to succeed.

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