Republic Act No. 1287

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1

Any person, natural or juridical, who discovers or invents a new process, discovery or invention for the conversion of any native agricultural raw product into a product which will stabilize not only the national economy but also the dollar resources, such as the discovery or invention of a process to convert native leaf tobacco into tobacco with the same appearance, taste and aroma as those of leaf tobacco of the Virginia type, and similar discoveries or inventions, is granted the special privilege to exploit, produce and benefit from such process, discovery or invention to the exclusion of all others for a period of twenty-five years. Such person is also granted automatically the benefits provided for in Republic Act Numbered Nine hundred one: Provided, That a substantial improvement of an old invention or discovery shall be considered as a new invention or discovery for the purposes of this Act.

Section 2

A board is hereby created, to be composed of the Director of the Institute of Science and Technology, as chairman, and the Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines and the Director of Patent Office, as members, which shall determine applications for the special privilege provided for herein. Decisions of the Board shall be appealable to the Supreme Court by certiorari.

The Board shall issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out purposes of this Act, including the collection of fees for its expenses.

Section 3

Any person who shall violate any provision of this Act or of any rule or regulation issued thereunder or infringe a special privilege granted under the provisions of this Act shall, in addition to whatever civil liability he may thereby incur, be punished by imprisonment for not less than five years and not more than ten years or by a fine of not less than five thousand pesos and not more than ten thousand pesos. If the offender is a corporation or association, the penalty shall be imposed upon its officers responsible for the offense.

Section 4

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 15, 1955.