Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
Get a cited, plain-language answer from 184,000+ statutes and decisions — free, no sign-up.
Franchise Trademark License in the Philippines: How It Works Under the IP Code
A franchise trademark license in the Philippines is a technology transfer arrangement registrable with the IPO. Learn how the IP Code governs it.
Trademark Registration in the Philippines for Franchise Networks
Register your franchise trademark in the Philippines with the IPO: file under the Intellectual Property Code, secure your mark, and license it to franchisees.
Trademark Opposition in the Philippines: How to Oppose or Cancel a Mark
Learn how trademark opposition in the Philippines works under the Intellectual Property Code, who may file, and how cancellation of a trademark is decided.
Bringing a Foreign Brand into the Philippines by Franchise: How It Works
Bringing a foreign brand into the Philippines by franchise involves corporate registration, trademark protection, and a technology transfer arrangement. Here is how.
Trademark Registration in the Philippines: The Full Process Under RA 8293
Learn the trademark registration Philippines process under RA 8293 — from filing with the IPO Bureau of Trademarks to examination, publication, and certificate issuance.
Trade Name vs Trademark: Priority Rights and Protection Under the IP Code
The Supreme Court clarifies when a trade name can defeat a trademark registration, and the limits of priority rights under the IP Code.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: Why Registration Beats Prior Use
Philippine trademark law shifted from use-based to registration-based ownership. Learn how the "Mr. Gulaman" case clarifies the rules and risks.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: When Bad Faith Defeats First-to-File
Prior use can defeat a first-to-file trademark application if the applicant acted in bad faith. Learn the rule and its exceptions.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: Prior Use vs. Registration
The Supreme Court clarifies that trademark ownership in the Philippines is anchored on actual use, not mere registration, in a landmark ruling.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: Prior Use vs. Registration
The Supreme Court clarifies that trademark ownership in the Philippines is rooted in actual use, not mere registration. Learn the rules.
Trademarks and Domain Names in the Philippines: The Kolin Case on Registration Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies how trademark rights apply to domain name registrations under the IP Code, using the Kolin dispute as a guide.
Protecting Your Brand Online: Trademark Rights and Domain Names in the Philippines
Learn how the Supreme Court protects trademark rights in domain names, and what the Kolin case means for your brand's online presence.
Navigating Trademark Infringement: How Similar Marks Are Treated in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies when similar marks cause confusion and damage, rejecting blanket application of prior rulings in trademark disputes.
LIVE'S vs LEVI'S: Supreme Court Rules on Trademark Confusion and Cancellation
The Supreme Court cancelled the LIVE'S trademark registration, ruling it confusingly similar to LEVI'S under the Dominancy Test.
Levi Strauss v. Sevilla: Confusing Similarity and Trademark Cancellation in the Philippines
The Supreme Court cancels the LIVE'S trademark for confusing similarity with LEVI'S, clarifying trademark tests and res judicata rules.
Trademark Cancellation: When Registration Does Not Guarantee Ownership
The Supreme Court explains when a trademark registration can be cancelled despite the prima facie presumption of ownership it grants.
Trademark Ownership in the Philippines: First-to-File Rule Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies that under the IP Code, trademark ownership is acquired through registration, not prior use.
Transferee Pendente Lite in Trademark Assignments: The Sunfire Trading Case
Learn how the Sunfire Trading ruling clarifies that buying a trademark during litigation binds the buyer to the case's outcome.
Corporate Name Disputes Priority Rights and Confusing Similarity in Trademark Law
Learn how Philippine courts resolve corporate name disputes, priority rights, and confusing similarity in trademark registration cases.
Unfair Competition and Trade Name Confusion: The Paperone Ruling
The Supreme Court clarifies when a corporate name can amount to unfair competition under the Intellectual Property Code, even without trademark infringement.
Unfair Competition in Trade Names: PAPER ONE vs. Paperone, Inc.
Supreme Court clarifies unfair competition rules when a corporate name closely mimics an established trademark, reversing the Court of Appeals.
Website Activity as Proof of Commercial Use in Philippine Trademark Law
How Philippine courts treat website activity as evidence of commercial use in trademark cases, and what this means for brand owners.
Trademark LAW Distinctiveness Prevails Over Similarity IN ATM Service Branding
Trademark Ownership Rests on Prior Use, But Related Goods Still Matter
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies trademark ownership via prior use and the test for related goods in SAKURA dispute.