The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and GMA Network Inc. (GMA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to combat piracy in the video and content creation industry.
The MOU signed on Oct. 5, 2023, formalized their commitment to fighting rampant piracy, safeguarding intellectual property (IP) rights and promoting a thriving creative ecosystem.
“The dedication of the men and women of GMA to creativity, storytelling, and innovation aligns with their determination to safeguard their intellectual property against unauthorized distribution and piracy,” said IP enforcement office supervising director Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan.
Under the MOU, GMA pledged to work with IPOPHL in its mission to form a mechanism and framework for piracy prevention, online piracy monitoring and regular assistance in IP promotion.
IPOPHL will establish an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) referral system to enhance the settlement of IP disputes and IP rights violation cases for GMA.
OPHL is also set to prioritize its ongoing capacity-building efforts on IP protection, utilization and enforcement tailored to the workforce of the broadcast network.
“Over the course of our collaboration, we envision the implementation of educational initiatives and public awareness campaigns, among other initiatives, to fortify the walls against piracy. By synergizing our strengths, we aim to create an environment where creators will feel secure in their endeavors, knowing that their contributions will be respected and valued,” said IPOPHL director-general Rowel Barba.
GMA executive vice president (VP) and chief finance offier Felipe Yalong expressed optimism on GMA’s greater impact to raise IP awareness through the MOU, hoping to help more viewers and even its content users learn the right ways in respecting others’ IP rights.
“It will also help us educate the users of our video and audio simply because it will also be a protection for them… It’s a protection for both the creators and the viewers, ‘di lang one way [it’s not just one way],” he said.
