RP seeks removal from USTR watch list

MANILA, Philippines—The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines continues to work on the strengthening of the country’s intellectual property environment, in a bid to be removed from the United States Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report Watch List.

Although managing to stay out of the USTR’s “priority’’ watch list this year, IP Philippines Director General Adrian Cristobal Jr. admitted there were groups that were pushing to not only keep the country on the watch list but to place it back on the “Priority’’ Watch List.

The USTR maintained the Philippines’ listing under the ordinary list, amid efforts to curb piracy of all types in the country.

However, the USTR said it would conduct an out-of-cycle review of the country’s performance within the year due to remaining concerns about Philippine IP laws and the enforcement of these laws.

“The decision of the USTR comes as no surprise. Progress in promoting respect for intellectual property rights in the country has been substantial, but pressure from powerful lobby groups in Washington, with unreasonable demands, kept us on the Watch List,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Washington expressed particular concern about amendments to the patent provision on the Intellectual Property Code regarding pharmaceutical products, as well as about the continuing proliferation of optical media pirates.

“The amendment weakens patent protection for pharmaceutical products,” the USTR said in its 2009 Special 301 Report.

Cristobal, however, reiterated that “all provisions in the Cheaper Medicines Law have been deliberated to primarily benefit the Filipinos more than any other foreign interest.”

As for the challenges in enforcement, he said various steps were continuously being taken by IP Philippines and its partners in the public sector to ensure that IP laws were implemented and followed.

“What is important is that the government continues its strategic thrust of promoting creativity and innovation in the country through the IP system. National IP programs have raised awareness on the importance of the IP system among inventors and scientists, artists and the creative sector, universities and research and development institutions, and entrepreneurs,” he said.

“The increase in patent filings in the IP office, the increase in universities with IP policies, and the growth of copyright licensing organizations for artists are proof of gains in using IP for national development,” he added.

He said the USTR did not consider these factors in formulating its list of IP violators.

Apart from the Philippines, 32 other US trading partners are on the lower-level watch list, including Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait and Lebanon.–Abigail L. Ho, Philippine Daily Inquirer