Following a multi-year process of engagement by CCFN, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines issued final geographical indication regulations, which took effect November 20.
The new regulations establish a GI protection system that:
CCFN has participated in filing comments and testifying at hearings throughout multiple rounds of revisions to the regulations, in addition to working with the U.S. government to secure bilateral commitments regarding due process considerations for GIs and common names. Most recently, CCFN wrote to the Philippines in November to underscore finer points of the final regulations that merit consideration as implementation commences. The final set of regulations creates a framework that has various pro-GI elements included in it yet also certain tools for defending the rights of common name users.
The Philippines has a track record of protecting the use of common food names, a practice that benefits both its trading partners and its own domestic food industry. Building upon this, CCFN will continue to engage with Filipino officials to minimize any potential impacts of the new regulations on common name users.