PH lodges key gains in fight versus piracy

The Philippines seeks to stay out of the US piracy watch list, banking on the record achievements of local agencies involved in intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.

This was amid renewed efforts by three US-based trade groups—Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), BSA|The Software Alliance and Pharmaceutical Research And Manufacturers Of America (PhRMA)—to have the Philippines reinstated in the 2015 Special 301 piracy watch list of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

It was only in April 2014 when the Philippines was finally stricken off the US list of piracy hotspots after 20 years.

The Philippines was likewise removed from the US Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets for 2013.

In a comment submitted to the USTR on Feb. 13, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) noted that the Philippines logged new records in intellectual property enforcement last year.

Offered as proof of the country’s IP enforcement drive was the record seizures of pirated and counterfeit goods, with the total value reaching P13.32 billion or more than $300 million at the end of 2014—the highest recorded by the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights.

With NCIPR at the helm, IP enforcement is poised to be even more stringent in the coming years, IPOPHL stressed.

The Philippines, the IPOPHL added, also made significant inroads in other areas such as IP awareness, education, training and commercialization.

Combined with IP enforcement, these areas are seen to complete the country’s holistic approach to IP development.

“Another development which helped reinforce NCIPR’s enforcement mandate was the start of the implementation of IPOPHL’s enforcement function in 2014. The IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) opened to business in full swing last year. The IEO gives IP owners the option to file administrative actions with the IPOPHL,” the letter stated.

“This option has contributed to the improvement of online enforcement of IPR. The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Motion Picture Association (MPA) have acknowledged the significant assistance given by the IEO in going after pirate websites distributing or selling illegal copies of medical books, whether in print or digital form, as well as motion pictures. IEO was able to record an 86 percent disposal rate for complaints and 72 percent disposal rate for reports filed in 2014,” IPOPHL added.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services also broke records in 2014, while new initiatives were launched, such as the conduct of the Brand Development Summit and the IP Youth Camp.

“Building on the successes made in 2014, the Philippines is better positioned for new and bigger challenges in IP enforcement in the next and coming years,” the IPOPHL said.

“In 2015 and in the next years, the Philippines will continue to build national capacity for stronger and more effective IP protection, enforcement, and adjudication… On the heels of its recent successes in IP enforcement, the Philippines is confident that it is on track to achieve the next set of objectives,” it added.