Pirated goods haul hit P3.7B in 8 months

The National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIRP) confiscated more than P3.7 billion worth of counterfeit and pirated goods in the first eight months of the year, 56.5 percent higher than the P2.4-billion haul in the same period last year.

According to data from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, a member-agency of the NCIPR, the National Bureau of Investigation accounted for the bulk at about P2.1 billion, representing 55 percent of the total goods confiscated in January to August.

The NBI confiscated more than one million pieces of fake goods, mostly high-value watches, via 541 search warrants issued as of August 24.

In the same period a year ago, the NBI was able to bring in about P849 million worth of contraband.

The Bureau of Customs raked in another P1.3 billion in counterfeit goods in the first eight months, up by 37.6 percent from P961 million a year ago.

From 971 inspections nationwide, the Optical Media Board seized more than two million pieces and 2,540 cartons of pirated discs worth P316.7 million as of end-July. OMB had yet to submit its August data to the NCIPR.

The Philippine National Police added another P15.8 million to the NCIPR’s total haul in the first eight months, as a result of 320 search warrants issued from January to July. Available PNP data was only up to end-July.

In an earlier interview, IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor said the NCIPR expected the value of total confiscation to reach P8 billion this year.

“We’re confident that we can reach that number. With the passage of a new law that will give us enforcement powers, we expect to be able to boost our confiscation and prosecution efforts,” Blancaflor said.