The Intellectual Property Rights Office (IPRO) organized a training program titled “Primer to Intellectual Property Protection: Raising BSU’s Bar in the Innovation Landscape.” The event, held at the Research and Extension Everlasting Hall on November 25, 2024, aimed to equip participants with knowledge on Intellectual Property Protection.
The morning session focused on several key topics, including intellectual property (IP) and its rights, status of intellectual property rights (IPR) in the university, and technology transfer.
The discussion was led by IPRO Director Cynthia D. Garambas. She talked about the two main categories of IPR: Industrial Property and Copyright and Its Related Rights.
In the Industrial Property, she covered patents, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, and geographical indications. For Copyright and Its Related Rights, she addressed original works such as literary and artistic creations.
Garambas further discussed the data on the university status of IPR and technology transfer and emphasized the various challenges, limitations, and benefits related to IP.
Next, VP for Research and Extension, Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres, urged the participants to protect the knowledge they shared through publications and presentations. He then expressed his hope for the participants to produce outputs beyond the certificates.
The afternoon session featured BSU inventors who shared their journey towards certification and challenges in IP registration.
One of the inventors was Manuel M. Dorado, Jr. He highlighted issues such as the lack of research registration and the complex terminology related to utility models.
Rodeliza A. Flores agreed to Dorado’s experiences, adding that even symbols for percentages and commas can be a problem. She highlighted the monetary challenges that Leila Mary A. Ayban, the HORTI Director, also pointed out. Ayban stated that these financial difficulties lead to the use of downgraded chemicals in laboratories.
Esther T. Botangen also shared that despite the challenges her team faced, attending seminars on IPP has helped them understand and widen their knowledge on how to draft documents.
On the other hand, Paul Joseph A. Nuval talked about his experiences related to copyright, emphasizing that it is a complex task. He said that reaching an agreement between and among authors regarding authorship is a challenge along with determining which materials qualify for copyright protection.
The event ended with the awarding of certificates to recognize university inventors and researchers.//BTayaban
