The Philippine Intellectual Property Office issued on 16 March 2020 Memorandum Circular No. 2020-006: (1) suspending work (adopting a work from home arrangement) from 16 March 2020 until 14 April 2020; (2) cancelling all scheduled hearings and seminars; and (3) extending for a period of thirty (30) calendar days the deadline to respond to official actions, declarations, and other documents, including motions for extension of the period to file oppositions to trademark applications, answers, position papers, and appeals, and annuity payments falling from 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020, in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
MC No. 2020-06 states that:
- Work in IPOPHL is suspended from 16 March 2020 until 14 April 2020, but the office shall be adopting a work-from-home arrangement to ensure continued delivery of services.
- All scheduled hearings before the IPOPHL, including mediation, are suspended.
- Deadlines for all papers, pleadings, documents and payments due from 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020, are deemed extended for a period of thirty (30) calendar days from the due date.
- New applications for patents, utility models, industrial designs and trademarks for the period of 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020 may be filed online through the IPOPHL electronic filing system, but processing shall commence upon resumption of work. No manual filing shall be accepted during the said period.
- The operations of the documentary receiving section of IPOPHL are suspended. Letters, queries, or any other written communications may be filed on 15 April 2020.
- IPOPHL shall be unable to process requests for certified true copies for the period of 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020.
- All seminars, meetings, and public hearings scheduled from 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020 shall be reset to a later date.
- Access to IPOPHL mailboxes shall be allowed during the period of community quarantine.
- IPOPHL Field Operations Personnel outside the National Capital Region shall continue to perform their functions provided that the areas in which they operate are not restricted and are declared safe or COVID-19 free. Travel outside the area of assignment is suspended during the period of 16 March 2020 to 14 April 2020.
The IPOPHL’s announcement follows the Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease’s declaration of Code Red Sublevel 2 confirming community transmission of COVID-19 in the Philippines, as well as the Office of the President’s declaration of an enhanced community quarantine for Luzon.
For more information on this announcement, you may direct your concerns to [email protected].