Filing of Application
An international application may be filed by a natural person or a legal entity who (a) has an industrial or commercial establishment in the Philippines; (b) is domiciled in the Philippines; or (c) is a national of the Philippines, based on a mark that has already been registered in the IPOPHL (“basic registration”) or has been applied for registration in the IPOPHL (“basic application”).
The application should contain the name, address, and nationality of the applicant and his representative; the countries that are parties to the Madrid Protocol where trademark protection wishes to be secured (“Designated Contracting Parties”); the list of goods or services and the Nice Classification class to which they belong; and a reproduction of the mark.
Aside from the fees collected by the International Bureau of WIPO, a non-refundable handling fee shall be payable to the Bureau of Trademarks upon filing of the application.
Examination
The Bureau of Trademarks shall verify if the Philippines may be considered as the country of origin in respect of the application, and that the relevant particulars appearing in the international application correspond to those appearing in the basic application or basic registration.
Certification
If the international application complies with the prescribed requirements, the Bureau of Trademarks shall so certify in the international application, and indicate the date on which the international application was received, and forward the international application to the International Bureau of WIPO.