Sagada Weaving granted patent to its local designs

By Andrew Doga-ong

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Sagada Weaving, a pioneering weaving firm in this mountain tourist town is now a patent holder of designs.

Juliet Lucas, provincial caretaker of the Department of Trade and Industry here, said the Bureau of Trade Marks of the Intellectual Property Office and the Bureau of Patents has granted Sagada Weaving patent certificates to its local designs.

The Sagada Weaving product design described as consisting of a diamond and two half diamonds forming an X design of any two colors was granted under IPO Certificate of Registration numbered 4-2009-006672.

The Bureau of Patents earlier also granted Patent Registration Nos. 3-2009-00441 to 00446 giving Sagada Weaving the exclusive right throughout the Philippines to make, use, sell or import an industrial design which consists of six color combination with diamond and X designs.

Lucas said that with the patent certificates, Sagada Weaving has exclusivity to the said designs and that other weavers are no longer allowed to use them or they could be charged to sanctions prescribed in the Intellectual Property Law.

Sagada Weaving manager Ezra KeithleyArandugue, however, informed the local DTI office that he will not be drastic in enforcing the patent to give time for other producers to dispose of their products with the Sagada Weaving designs.

He also advised his fellow producers to stop producing woven products with the Sagada Weaving designs and combinations.

Lucas said this is the first time a patent was secured for a local product in the province even as she encouraged other producers to also register their creations, innovations and marks as “they are the products of great minds and attitude that will be cherished by offsprings.”

Patent applications can be done at the IPO office located at the DTI –Cordillera, Carino Street, Baguio City.