Failure to pay annual fees causes withdrawal or lapse, subject to a six?month grace period with surcharge.
What is the consequence of failure to pay annual fees, and is there any grace period? Read More »
A patent may be surrendered with consent of all recorded right?holders, subject to possible opposition.
May a patentee voluntarily surrender a patent, and what consents are required? Read More »
After formal compliance, the IPO classifies the application and conducts a prior?art search.
What is done after an application passes the formality examination? Read More »
Applications are published after 18 months with a search report, and documents become open to public inspection.
When and how is a Philippine patent application published? Read More »
Before publication, patent applications and related documents remain confidential absent the applicants consent.
Are patent applications confidential before publication? Read More »
A Philippine application may claim a foreign filing date if it claims priority and meets specific time and document requirements.
How can a Philippine patent applicant claim priority from a foreign patent filing? Read More »
After publication, applicants enjoy patentee?like rights against users with knowledge, enforceable once the patent is granted.
A patent application must be in Filipino or English and include request, description, drawings, claims, and abstract.
What are the mandatory contents of a Philippine patent application? Read More »
After publication, anyone may file written observations on patentability, which are shared with the applicant.
May third parties comment on the patentability of an invention after publication? Read More »
Identification of the inventor is mandatory, and non?inventor applicants may need to prove their authority.
Is it possible to obtain a patent if the inventor is not identified in the application? Read More »
