First Leg of Asia Pacific IP Experts Meeting in PH Successfully Held

The delegates of the APEC-IPEG Meeting led by the Chair Miguel Angel Margain of Mexico (seated at the center) with Undersecretary Ferdinand Cui, Jr., Office of the SOM Vice-Chair, Philippines (left of Chair) and Deputy Director General Allan B. Gepty of the IPOPHL(right of  Chair)

The 40th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Intellectual Property Rights Experts' Group (IPEG) meeting-- the first of the two high-level meetings hosted by the Philippines this year -- was successfully held from January 31 to February 1, 2015 in Clark, Pampanga.

Facilitating innovation and the exploitation of IP among small and medium-sized industries (SMEs) to enhance their regional and global competitiveness was one of the most discussed topics at the meeting. The Philippines welcomed this breakthrough as the mounting interest in the topic complements its push to put the SME topic higher on the APEC agenda.

“Enhancing SME competitiveness through brand development, IP valuation and commercialization is one of our priorities. We see that SMEs can leverage on their IP assets such as their brands or trademarks for growth and expansion. APEC provides a suitable platform for us to build on our programs through cooperation and sharing of best practices with other APEC economies,” says Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Deputy Director General Allan B. Gepty.

The two other priorities presented by the Philippines at the meeting are strengthening capacity for effective IP enforcement and adjudication and the facilitation of the effective use of patent information aimed at assisting research institutions, academe, and SMEs.

The two-day meeting has also strengthened the commitment of the APEC member economies for continued collaboration and support in other areas of IP. These include management and effective use of IPRs; capacity-building in promoting understanding and appreciation of IP in the youth sector; facilitating technology transfer and IP commercialization; and enhancing IP enforcement and adjudication.

“APEC-IPEG has been devoted to delve with the most valuable initiatives and proposals that have become endorsed projects on some of the most relevant topics on IP.The ultimate mission of IPEG is to make the most of IPRs in the APEC region in the sake, of building a better world,” says APEC-IPEG Chair Miguel Ángel Margáin who is also the Director General of the Mexican Institute of the Industrial Property (IMPI).

This statement by the IPEG Chair sits well with the theme chosen by the Philippines for its hosting year. Pushing for the promotion of inclusive growth in Asia Pacific, the Philippines has adopted the theme  “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World” and names four priorities, namely (1) Enhancing the Regional Economic Integration Agenda, (2) Fostering small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs’ Participation in Regional and Global Markets, (3) Investing in Human Capital Development, and (4) Building Resilient and Sustainable Communities.

The second IPEG meeting in the Philippines is set for August in Cebu City.###