PH adopts historic WIPO treaty

THE INTELLECTUAL Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) on Wednesday shared that the Philippines has joined 193 other member countries of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in adopting a landmark treaty on intellectual property (IP), genetic resources (GR), and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources (ATK).

The 194 member states of WIPO achieved a consensus after 25 years of negotiations to create a more inclusive global patent system.

This new treaty is the first to specifically address the connection between patents, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge, which includes provisions that recognize the rights of indigenous peoples (IP) and local communities.

"The treaty showcases our collective effort to empower marginalized groups globally while maintaining a fair intellectual property system," IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said at the Diplomatic Conference in Geneva last May 13 to 24.

With the adoption of the new treaty, it now requires inventors to disclose if their patents are based on genetic resources and their associated traditional knowledge. This transparency is expected to prevent the misuse or theft of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Barba said that in the Philippines, a similar rule is already in place through an agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

He added IPOPHL has been a strong supporter of this treaty, viewing it as a significant step towards inclusivity in the patent system. The treaty acknowledges the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to their genetic resources and traditional knowledge, which are considered national cultural treasures in the Philippines and many other countries.

Barba underscored the importance of allowing countries enough flexibility to adopt and implement the treaty according to their own circumstances.

He also pushed for a balanced approach to achieve the treaty's goals and promote diversity.

Following the adoption of the treaty, Barba announced that IPOPHL will recommend to the Office of the President, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, that the Philippines become a contracting party to the treaty. This would enable the country to implement the treaty nationwide.

The new WIPO Treaty will take effect three months after it has been ratified by 15 contracting parties. (Kris Crismundo)