Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia, in partnership with The Legal 500, hosted a webinar entitled “Technology Law for Business Owners: A Spotlight on Intellectual Property Law, FinTech and Data Privacy Law in the Philippines” on 21 May 2021, focusing on the key aspects of, and updates on, Philippine intellectual property, financial technology, and data privacy laws that business owners should be aware of as they navigate their shift to digital.
It was the fourth time Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia collaborated with The Legal 500. The first was in a roundtable discussion in 2018 on the changing role of in-house counsel; the second was at the Legal 500 GC Summit 2019 where it presented a panel on Energy Security in Southeast Asia; and the third was in September 2020 in a webinar on e-commerce in the new normal.
Gian Angelo E. Chua, Associate of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia and a member of its Intellectual Property Department and Data Privacy Practice Group, discussed the core strategies in protecting a business’ brand online, emphasizing that establishing a clear and definite ownership over a brand through trademark registration is key since the primary basis of trademark ownership in the Philippines is valid registration. Mr. Chua also tackled the remedies available in resolving domain name disputes and dealing with cyber-squatters.
Fernand Joseph D. Miranda, Partner of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia and a member of its Corporate and Special Project Department and head of its Financial Technology Practice Group, shared key updates on financial technology law and discussed the recent issuances of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Philippine Central Bank) on cryptocurrency and virtual asset transactions, digital banks, and digital payment systems. Mr. Miranda gave a valuable overview of the current regulatory landscape governing financial technology.
Ramon Manolo A. Alcasabas, Partner of Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia and a member of its Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department and head of its Data Privacy Practice Group, tackled the fundamental issues that businesses face with respect to data privacy, including issues on customer data protection and processing, data subjects’ rights, data sharing and outsourcing, and data breach. Mr. Alcasabas also touched on the latest issuances of the Philippine National Privacy Commission on data sharing and the issuance of cease-and-desist orders.
Through the webinar, participants were equipped with the essential tools in responding to common issues and challenges relating to Philippine intellectual property, financial technology, and data privacy laws as they shift to digital. Undoubtedly, this shift requires new ways of approaching old problems, and even a basic understanding of the current legal and regulatory landscape goes a long way in ensuring that businesses remain competitive in the increasingly digital business environment.
A recording of the webinar is available here.