PBBM should certify as urgent amendments to IP Code
August 14, 2023CitizenWatch Philippines is calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the pending bills amending the Intellectual Property Code because these are urgently needed in the fight against online piracy.
Battling piracy is crucial to the socio-economic well-being of Filipinos.
The 26-year-old IP Code – which does not include electronic and online content in its definition of pirated goods — must be amended so it could respond to the context of a digital online platform. We need to boost the creative economy, prevent opportunity loss, protect the interest of the Philippines’ rich and diverse talent pool, and even shield our citizens, especially the vulnerable, from online predators.
Online piracy harms the viability of the creative sector and undermines the values and creative spirit of our people. It also unduly incentivizes those whose only contribution is to find ways to profit from what is not theirs to begin with.
House Bill 7600 authorizes the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) to block websites that violate the IP Code and expands its enforcement functions to investigate, gather intelligence, and develop countermeasures to piracy. It also establishes guidelines for internet service providers in blocking websites hosting pirated material. A counterpart bill at the Senate has yet to be passed, even as at least one version proposes a definite timeline of five days for IPOPHIL to process piracy complaints by content owners.
Instead of finding right value for their work and being compensated commensurately for it, those in the creative industry continue to struggle against economic realities aggravated further by online piracy.
They might continue to do what they do for the sheer love of it, but they will always entertain the possibility of working somewhere where their intellectual property is protected so that they can earn fairly and comfortably for their creative work.
If this happens, the creative industry, driven by the artistry, inventiveness, and skills of Filipinos, will suffer losses and demoralization. Online pirates take away the rightful reward and recognition for their work, and this will eventually discourage creativity and innovation among our people and investors.
Right now, swift site blocking power is the apparent response to these threats.
That technology creates boundless possibilities is proven true, and in this case, the possibilities go both ways. We have to do everything in our power to limit the bad and destructive ways that technology can be used to the detriment of our people.
Pirates are fast and cunning. We must be faster and more aggressive. We can’t be stuck deliberating whether the present mechanisms are enough. While we are still talking about all these, these pirates and violators are already on their next move and profiting from their criminal acts.
Atty Tim Abejo
Co-Convenor