Group launches seal on intellectual property rights

Private sector group IP Coalition launched on Thursday the "IP Seal" as a stamp of approval for companies that have as corporate policy the commitment to protect intellectual property rights. "This is something that we can be proud of because we are the first country to have this IP Seal. We have now an application with the IP Philippines [Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines] for the trademark," lawyer Jun Rodriguez, secretary general of the IP Coalition, said at the launch of the IP Seal at the Hard Rock Café in Makati. Eight Manila-based companies were awarded the IP Seal during the launch. These were the Adi-Asianic Distributors Inc., Cofta Mouldings Corp., Levi Strauss Philippines Inc., Microsoft Philippines Inc., Orion Support Inc., Perceptions Inc., and Smart Communications Inc. Cebu-based firms were earlier awarded the IP Seal, including Campaigns Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, Alcon Industries Inc., Dash Engineering Philippines, Golden Peak Hotel and Business Suites, Jojo's Food Products Inc., My Rock Export-Import Inc., Nature's Legacy, and Papicutre Studio. Rodriguez said the IP Seal is good for a year. The group, he added, will have a team that will check the compliance of the seal holders to intellectual property protection commitments. IP Coalition chairman John Lesaca said the IP Seal is a graphic representation of the group's campaign against piracy. He said the group is hoping that majority of shops in retail areas will have the seal and customers will get into the habit of patronizing such products instead of others that do not carry the seal. IP Philippines director general Ricardo Blancaflor said it is good that the private sector is active in the consumer education for intellectual property protection as an area where the government is lacking. "It is a way of life that we are trying to promote, so we are glad that the private sector is all-out in this information drive," Blancaflor said. —JE, GMANews.TV