DTI, IP Philippines Spearhead Five-Point Anti-Piracy Strategy

Special to ag-IP-news Agency

MAKATICITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) have formulated five strategic moves that the government will implement to curb piracy and counterfeiting in the country.

“A strong Intellectual Property system promotes innovation and competitiveness, attracts foreign investments and generates employment in the country,” DTI Secretary Peter Favila said.

“We have made a significant progress against piracy and counterfeiting in the past three years with IP Philippines taking the lead and we will sustain the momentum,” he added.

IP Philippines is the lead coordinating agency of the National Committee on IPR (NCIPR) composed of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Customs (BoC), the Optical Media Board (OMB), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and other agencies.

In a meeting with Favila, IP Philippines Director General Adrian Cristobal, presented the five-point strategy that would entail the support of all branches of government at the highest levels and partnerships with the private sector.

In the executive order, the BoC will establish a permanent IP enforcement unit with regular personnel and adequate budgetary support. Other law enforcement agencies, such as the PNP and NBI will be required to make their existing IP task forces permanent units within their organizations.

“The president gave instructions to the BoC to set up its permanent IP unit. An Executive Order is being prepared for this purpose and it will also require the other agencies to follow suit,” Favila noted.

Second, local government units will play a more active role in enforcing Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in their localities through local ordinances.

Working on the creation of Special IP Courts in Metro Manila, and possibly Cebu, is the third component of the action plan. The cooperation of the judiciary, according to Favila, will help move the cases of IP violations in the courts.

“This is something that the different business chambers and IP owners have been proposing, and we know the Supreme Court appreciates the importance of IP in our socio-economic development,” Favila pointed out.

The fourth component is the establishment of the Intellectual Property Research and Training Institute (IPRTI) to provide specialized training for law enforcers, members of the judiciary and prosecution, inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs. An executive order formally establishing the IPRTI has also been prepared and submitted to Malacanang.

Legislation to further strengthen IPRs is the fifth component of the strategy.

“We will push for amendments to the IP Code that will meet our country’s obligations under the World Intellectual Property Organization Internet Treaties   and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty,” Cristobal stated.

“Public-private partnerships with organizations like the Intellectual Property Coalition, various chambers of commerce, other business groups, civil society and other organizations that protect IPRs will be important in successfully implementing this five-point strategy,” Favila stated.