The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) teamed up with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to protect the intellectual property (IP) rights of artists whose works may be used without permission in the campaign period leading up to the 2025 elections.
The collaboration marks the first time IPOPHL is working with the election body as the nation prepares for the 2025 national and local elections.
IPOPHL director-general Rowel Barba and Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the 2nd Philippine International Copyright Summit (PICS) at Novotel Manila Araneta City.
“This MOU will pave the way for initiatives that will ensure that candidates are held accountable for the materials they use, which will foster a culture of respect for IP in our electoral system,” Barba said.
The MOU ensures that candidates are held accountable for the materials they use, promoting a culture of respect for IP in the electoral system.
Under the agreement, IPOPHL and Comelec will collaborate to increase copyright awareness and compliance of aspirants and candidates with the IP Code of 1997, ensuring fairness and compliance with the law before and throughout the campaign.
Garcia said that while an IP violation is not an election offense that could forfeit an aspirant’s candidature, Comelec is committed to supporting initiatives to hold individuals accountable for violating any law during the candidacy period and to be aggressive in exposing violators as a way to educate voters.
The campaign period for national elections is scheduled from Feb. 11 to May 10, 2025, while the campaign period for local elections is slated from March 28 to May 10, 2025.
IPOPHL previously urged political candidates and groups in the upcoming elections to respect IP rights when using existing copyrighted works in developing their promotion materials.
Barba said candidates and campaign teams should understand that using songs, images or videos without permission violates the IP rights of artists and authors, and these creators deserve recognition, respect, and fair compensation for the use of their works.
