Philippines Seeking Status as an International Search Authority

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) recently announced that they received notice that their application to become an International Search Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA / IPEA) was unanimously approved by the Working Group on Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) which was sitting as the Committee on Technical Cooperation (CTC). In October the General Assembly of WIPO will review the application and provide the final approval.

Currently, there are twenty-two ISAs/IPEAs under the PCT and if IPOPHL receives approval, the organization will become twenty-third worldwide and the second the in ASEAN region.