IPOPHL Shall Resume Operations | De Leon IP Law Firm Philippines

IPOPHL issued an advisory with regard to the resumption of its limited operations on 25 May 2020. The salient portions of the advisory are provided below:

  • Cashiering operations at the Main Office shall resume on 27 May 2020. However, the cashier shall only accept payments that cannot be made through the online payment system (e.g., patent applications, copyright registrations, etc.).
  • The operations of the documentary receiving sections shall also resume on 27 May 2020.
  • The deadlines for submission of papers/replies/documents shall be as follows:
    1. Deadlines falling from 16 March 2020 to 31 March 2020 (initially extended until 31 May 2020) are further extended until 30 June 2020;
    2. Deadlines falling from 01 April 2020 to 30 April 2020 (initially extended for sixty (60) days are further extended until 30 June 2020; and
    3. Deadlines falling from 01 May 2020 to 30 June 2020 will be extended until 30 July 2020.

Payment of filing fees including a claim of convention priority fee of new applications for patents, utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks with or without a claim of convention priority date filed through the IPOPHL electronic filing systems during the abovementioned periods shall likewise be due on the extended deadlines aforementioned. The date when the application was filed online shall be deemed the filing date. (As amended by Memorandum Circular 2020-13A)

  • To avoid long queues and to maintain social/physical distancing, transactions shall be accepted only in accordance with the following alphabetical schedule:
Date First Letter*
27 May 2020 (Wednesday) A – C
28 May 2020 (Thursday) D – H
29 May 2020 (Friday) I – O
01 June 2020 (Monday) P – Z

 

*The first letter of the name of the law firm/company, or the first letter of the last name of the payor/filer.

  • Schedule of Hearings. Scheduled hearings shall remain suspended until 22 May 2020. These include mediation hearings unless the parties request for online hearing or conference.
  • Hearings scheduled on 25 May 2020 onwards, including online mediation, shall proceed unless otherwise advised. Parties are strongly encouraged to comply with national guidelines on social distancing, including the wearing of masks and other personal protective equipment.