WIPO, IPOPHL officials visit UST Innovation Technology Support Office

Last March 3, 2016, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Deputy Director General for Patents and Technology Sector, Mr. John Sandage; and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPhl) Director of the Documentation, Information, and Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB), Ms. Carmen G. Peralta, visited the University’s Innovation and Technology Support Office (ITSO) and paid a courtesy call to the Vice-Rector, Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P. and the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Prof. Maribel G. Nonato, Ph.D.

Discussed during the meetings were IPOPhl’s ITSO program, WIPO’s initiative in developing and empowering universities on the use of the patent system, and the status of the ITSO of the University.

WIPO is one of the United Nations’ specialized agencies with a mission to promote the creation, dissemination, use, and protection of works of the human mind for the economic, cultural, and social progress of all mankind through international cooperation. It has given special attention to least developed and countries whose economies are in transition. One of their programs is the establishment of the Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) to provide inventors and innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information services among other IP services. These entities are formed within the context of a joint engagement with national and regional industrial property authorities.

 WIPO supports the effective operations of the TISCs by: (1) facilitating access to patent databases and other scientific and technology resources; (2) training local users on-site and via distance learning; (3) supporting awareness-raising programs; and (4) disseminating best practices and experiences among TISCs.

Since the Philippines through IPOPhl is very receptive to the assistance offered by WIPO and aims to promote the use of the IP system for the nations’ economic growth, it has been working in collaboration with WIPO to develop these TISCs which they termed as ITSOs in universities, thus the ITSOs and the TISCs are the same entities. The University has established the ITSO in March 2012 and is now providing services such as IP advice, patent search, patent drafting, patent prosecution, and IP filing.