The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) have sealed an agreement to strengthen the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights and enable more effective implementation of pertinent policies.
In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by MIAA general manager Cesar Chiong and IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba, the two agencies agreed to consolidate information and facilitate cooperation for the prevention and suppression of the importation, exportation, sale, and distribution of counterfeit and pirated goods, products, or materials.
The MOU was meant to identify new measures to create more comprehensive and systematic mechanisms that will suppress IP infringement and foster collaboration on how such new measures can be operationalized.
“With this new partnership, MIAA can finally participate in training sessions on IPR, laws and optical media piracy that will equip our personnel with the knowledge and expertise that will ensure effective enforcement of IP laws in the country’s main gateway,” Chiong said.
Periodic oversight meetings will be conducted by both IPOPHL and MIAA to make sure that activities and responsibilities contained in the agreement are fully observed and implemented.
IPOPHL revealed that complaints on counterfeiting and piracy filed in 2020 with the agency surge to 121 as the coronavirus pandemic presented lucrative opportunities for unscrupulous traders.
Records also showed that most of the complaints concerned counterfeiting while the remaining 54 were on the illegal sharing and selling of copyrighted works.
Fake apparels were mostly the subject of complaints with 39 or about 77%, followed by gadgets with seven (10%) and cosmetics with six (9%).
IPOPHL also stated that 22 piracy complaints involved movies and shows accounting for 40% in the category. E-books trailed behind with 14 reports or a 25% share, followed by software products with 9 or 16%.
Some 90% of the reports and complaints were sold and marketed online, with Facebook (61%), Unpopular websites (13%) Shopee (12%), Lazada (7%) and Youtube (2%) as the top platforms used.
Violators of the copyright law could face a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to P150,000 for the first offense; up to six-year imprisonment and a maximum fine of P500,000 for the second offense; and up to nine-year imprisonment and a fine of up to P1.5 million for subsequent offenses.