DTI, IP Philippines spearhead five-point anti-piracy strategy20 June 2008, 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. DTI Secretary Peter B. Favila said that “a strong intellectual property system promotes innovation and competitiveness, attracts foreign investments and generates employment in the country. We’ve made significant progress against piracy and counterfeiting in the past three years with IP Philippines taking the lead and we will sustain the momentum.” 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 Secretary Favila, Director General Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr. of IP Philippines 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. Second, local government units will play a more active role in enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) in their localities through local ordinances. The DILG recently issued a circular to its regional directors to monitor LGU implementation of IPR laws. To-date, 11 LGUs have already adopted IP ordinances namely, Makati City, Quezon City, Muntinlupa City, Navotas City, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Davao City, Baguio City, Naga City, Balanga Bataan and Tuba Benguet. Director General Cristobal said that “some LGUs have realized that IPR is important if they want to make their cities competitive and investor friendly. We hope the others follow suit.” 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 Secretary 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,” added the DTI Secretary. 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 IPR 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 (WIPO) Internet Treaties (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT),” Cristobal said. “Public-private partnerships with organizations like the Intellectual Property Coalition (IP Coalition), various chambers of commerce, other business groups, civil society and other organizations that protect IPR will be important in successfully implementing this five-point strategy,” Favila stated.
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