IPOPHL seeks removal from US piracy watchlist

MANILA, Philippines – The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is seeking the removal of the Philippines from the US piracy watchlist. IPOPHL has submitted its comment on the accomplishments of the government to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) as the USTR starts its Special 301 review process on the state of intellectual property rights worldwide.  

Last year, the USTR retained IPOPHL in its ordinary watchlist despite the lobbying of US groups and other private sector groups such as the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) to downgrade the Philippines to the priority watchlist.

The (USTR) decided on the retention of the Philippines in the watchlist after conducting its 2010 out-of-cycle review.

IPOPHL, however, said that the USTR has recognized the sustained efforts of the Philippines to reduce the availability of goods infringing intellectual property rights.

“Inspired by its modest gains in recent years in protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights (IPRs), the Philippines continued to intensify its holistic approach to fight counterfeiting and piracy. The protection of IPRs is and remains to be a major area of concern of the Philippine Government not just because the Special 301 Review process identifies countries where IPR infringement represents a barrier to trade, but more so because the war against piracy and counterfeiting is a war against poverty and unemployment of most Filipinos. It is also a campaign to boost the country’s competitiveness towards economic development,” IPOPHL said.

To promote and heighten public awareness on the grave effects of counterfeiting and piracy on the economy, public welfare, health, and safety, the first-ever Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit was held in October 2011. Organized together with members of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the US State Department, the IPR Business Partnership, and the International Trademark Association (INTA), the summit resulted in the submission of a 2012-2016 Philippine Action Plan on IPR Protection and Enforcement to the Office of the President (OP).

In the report, IPOPHL said that the commitment of the Philippine government in the enforcement of laws related to intellectual property rights is manifested by the seizure of P8.4 million worth of counterfeit goods from January to December 2011. This is a 58.33 percent increase compared to the P5.3 million worth of pirated goods seized in 2010.

IPOPHL also reported that in 2011, there was increased involvement of other government agencies in the campaign against counterfeiting and piracy. As capacity building measures, five (5) seminars and training workshops for public prosecutors, law enforcement agents, port police, and airport security personnel were also organized by the NCIPR. Key personnel of partner organizations, both public and private, were also sent to workshops, conferences, and seminars abroad to develop a constituency of IP experts in the country. –Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star)