Fast-food chain Jollibee is Philippines’ first registered well-known mark

World-famous Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee is the Philippines’s first registered well-known mark.

On August 10, 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) declared that the brand’s logo as well as Jollibee’s full image are categorized as well-known marks.

On February 5, 2025, IPOPHL issued the Rules and Regulations for the Declaration and Creation of the Register of Well-Known Marks, which took effect on April 28, 2025.

According to Rule 2(f), the term “well-known” mark refers to any “mark declared by the competent authority to be well-known based on the criteria laid down in the IP Code, Supreme Court issuances, and these Regulations.” 

Meanwhile, Rule 5 states: “In determining whether a mark is well-known, account shall be taken of the knowledge of the relevant sector of the public, rather than of the public at large, including knowledge in the Philippines which has been obtained as a result of the promotion of the mark.”

Among the criteria for determining whether a mark is well known are the following: duration, extent and geographical area of any use of the mark particularly its promotion; market share in the Philippines and other countries; degree of the inherent or acquired distinction of the mark; and quality, image or reputation acquired by the mark.

According to Susan Villanueva, senior partner and IP department head at Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia in Manila, Jollibee’s inclusion in the Philippines’s newly establishedRegister of Well-Known Marks goes beyond being a symbol of Filipino identity as it provides significant legal advantages to the company.

“By being declared well-known and included in the register, the ‘Jollibee’ mark is effectively shielded from dilution and misuse even in unrelated industries. This recognition facilitates the enforcement of Jollibee’s rights over its mark, sparing Jollibee from repeatedly proving the ‘Jollibee’ mark and brand’s reputation and market recognition in every proceeding. Consequently, the declaration of the ‘Jollibee’ mark as a well-known mark helps avoid lengthy and resource-intensive proceedings to establish its reputation and affirms the commercial value and significance of the Jollibee brand in the Philippines,” explained Villanueva.

Owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation, the brand Jollibee was established in the Philippines in 1978. After becoming a household name in the country, the fast-food joint has since grown and expanded to more than 1,700 stores around the world, including 103 outlets in North America, with 81 operating in the United States.

“This reform directly builds on Section 123.1(e) and (f) of the Philippine IP Code which affords protection to well-known marks even if they are not registered in the Philippines,” said Villanueva, referring to the rules and regulations.

She added that prior to the issuance of the Regulations, brand and trademark owners can establish that their mark is well-known via adversarial proceedings such as oppositions, cancellations, infringement suits or unfair competition cases. Not only are these proceedings lengthy; they are costly as well. The Register of Well-Known Marks addresses this problem since it provides a streamlined system that allows trademark owners including global brands and international rights holders to secure recognition in advance and reduces reliance on post-facto remedies and actions.

“The register strengthens preventive protection by ensuring that the IPOPHL examiners refuse identical or confusingly similar applications at the outset; acting as a deterrent against filings made in bad faith and making it harder for others to exploit well-known brands and marks; and demonstrating brand value through official recognition by the IPOPHL,” said Villanueva.

Protection of well-known marks runs for 10 years, starting from the date of declaration as a well-known mark, and is renewable for another 10 years.