The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has partnered with the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) to stamp out counterfeiting and piracy, as well as promote IP rights as a tool for business recovery and growth.
In a recent statement, IPOPHL said it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PRA on March 30, wherein they both agreed to establish a code of practice to guide the fight against the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods in commercial establishments.
“This MOU is a crucial step in our fight against IP rights violations including in brick and mortar shops, especially now that consumers are now going out to physical stores and establishments to shop,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba.
Under the MOU, IPOPHL and the PRA have several goals, including the adoption of an anticounterfeit and antipiracy policy among PRA members and the implementation of a “fake-free” policy in commercial establishments.
The MOU marks the second time the PRA is supporting IPOPHL. To recall, IPOPHL partnered with the PRA last year for the Juan for the World Trademark Incentive Program to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises protect their trademarks and be competitive in global markets.
The MOU is also hoped to help stamp out counterfeit trade in the Greenhills Shopping Center, the lone physical Philippine market listed in the US Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy INQ