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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trademark Infringement and Contempt: When Corporate Names and Court Orders Collide
The Supreme Court clarifies that good faith compliance with an injunction order cannot be punished as indirect contempt, even if a corporate name contains a challenged mark.
Trademark LAW Likelihood OF Confusion AND Forum Shopping IN Trademark Registration
Trademark vs Copyright: Protecting Business Names in the Philippines
The Supreme Court clarifies the difference between trademarks and copyrights in business name disputes under Philippine IP law.
Trademark Confusion: Prior Use and Consumer Deception in Philippine IP Law
The Supreme Court ruled that PHILITES is confusingly similar to PHILIPS, applying both the dominancy and holistic tests in trademark law.
Trademark Infringement and Probable Cause: When the Secretary of Justice Abuses Discretion
The Supreme Court clarifies when courts may override the Secretary of Justice's dismissal of trademark infringement complaints for grave abuse of discretion.