The Philippine Intellectual Property Office adopts the EU trademark database

The online trademark application tool of the Philippine Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) now uses the European Union (EU) Harmonized Database of Goods and Services (HDB), which is currently the world's largest multilingual trademark classification database. HDB contains over 78000 terms that users can choose from when indicating the nature of the goods and services seeking the trademark. All clauses in HDB will automatically obtain approval from all EU trademark offices. Describing the goods and services related to the trademark is a key step in the application. This will set restrictions on the sought trademark protection and assist the Intellectual Property Office in determining whether a trademark has confounding similarities with another trademark in the same category, which is the reason for rejection. The database also integrates the latest version of Nice Classification - the International Trademark Classification System, making the IPOPHL system more coordinated with global trademark application standards.
The adoption of the EU's HDB can ensure that local enterprises submit trademark applications in intellectual property (IP) offices across the EU and foreign applicants submit trademarks in IPOPHL smoothly and more successfully, "said IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba. He explained, "This will eliminate the risk of rejection due to classification or description errors, in which case it will mean paying for a new application and waiting for a longer decision." He added that due to providing more terminology choices to the applicant, companies can view a more complete list of categories when conducting due diligence. This will enable them to identify potential conflicting product or service markings and evaluate their chances of obtaining approval before continuing their application, "said the head of IPOPHL. Individuals who own registered trademarks can also benefit from database expansion, as this helps them monitor whether their trademarks have been infringed and predict the risk of future cancellation.
For EU companies, this greater coordination between IPOPHL and the EU Intellectual Property Office can simplify trademark protection and may motivate them to open more stores in the Philippines or introduce more brands to the Philippines through exports. IPOPHL is the 17th intellectual property office outside the EU and the 85th national and regional intellectual property office in the world to use HDB. As an achievement of the IPOPHL Trademark and Management Information Service, database integration is part of the deliverables of IPOPHL and the European Intellectual Property Office under the ARISE Plus Intellectual Property (ARISE+IPR) program. ARISE+IPR is a five-year € 5.5 million program funded by the European Union to support the 2016-2025 ASEAN Intellectual Property Action Plan, aimed at improving the creation, protection, utilization, management, and enforcement of intellectual property rights in ASEAN member countries.