ORANI, Bataan – Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine B. Roman on Thursday calls all Filipinos, from government officials down to ordinary individuals, to help support and promote our very own intellectual, literary and artistic creators, our own scientists and inventors.
“The month of April is National Intellectual Property Rights Month. April 26 is World Intellectual Property Rights Day,” Congresswoman Roman said on her Facebook post.
Roman said she believes that “we must show to the world that we Filipinos respect intellectual property rights.”
“This is the only way by which creativity amongst us will be encouraged and developed. Protect original creators. Iwasan at pigilan ang pamemeke!,” she added.
In April 4 of last year, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Proclamation No. 190 declaring the month of April every year as National Intellectual Property (IP) Month. The Proclamation was made to align the country’s programs and activities to the scale of global IP celebrations.
The National Intellectual Property Month coincides with worldwide IP events, such as the World Book and Copyright Day on April 23 and the World Intellectual Property Day on April 26. With the signing of the Proclamation, the nation will have a longer observance of intellectual property rights (IPR) celebrations compared to the week-long IPR celebrations in October under Proclamation No. 79, series of 1992.
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
Copyright is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps and technical drawings.
A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. Trademarks date back to ancient times when artisans used to put their signature or “mark” on their products.