NCIPR pulls in almost P4 billion worth of fake goods |
18 July 2007 , Makati City – The National Committee for Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) reports today that its member agencies hauled in a total of close to P4 billion worth of pirated items since the committee’s creation in 2005. The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines), the lead inter-agency coordinator of NCIPR, gathered reports from its enforcement groups namely, the Bureau of Customs (BoC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Optical Media Board (OMB), and the Philippine National Police (PNP). “The value of seized pirated items of P1.39 billion from January to June 2007 has surpassed the total values confiscated for the year 2006 pegged at P1.35 billion and for 2005 which is at P1.15 billion,” Atty. Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr., Director General of IP Philippines, said. “This figure is the outcome of strengthened institutional linkage among NCIPR members that share vital information that yield successful raids,” Cristobal added. Other NCIPR members include the Department of Justice (DoJ), the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the Supreme Court. In 2007, the NCIPR enforcement agencies conducted total inspections of 870 sites from 262 search warrants. The agencies were also able to issue warrant seizure and detention in 10 operations. BoC continues to take the lead this year by contributing P458 million to the total estimated value of P1.39 billion to-date. In 2006, BoC took possession of P723 Million worth of fake goods or 53.56 percent of the total value of P1.35 billion seized for the year. For its part, OMB brought in P443 million worth of pirated discs in 2007. PNP, on the other hand, seized pirated items valued at P340 million, arrested 86 individuals, and filed nine cases. Meanwhile, NBI confiscated P153 million worth of fake goods and filed 110 cases with the DoJ. “All these efforts are in line with the President’s directive of upholding intellectual property rights since this ‘promotes diffusion of knowledge, develops local talent and creativity, and at the same time encourages more foreign investors to endow their strong qualities in the Philippine market’,” Cristobal said. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently lauded the gains made by NCIPR in a memorandum to the heads of member agencies.
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