The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to  enable more creators  in the Philippines to benefit from the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) system, a landmark move to streamline rights management system, increase discoverability of artists and ensure proper payment and credit for their work  across borders.  

Through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on Thursday in Makati, DTI will engage IPOPHL to facilitate ISNI and copyright registration for eligible creatives and their works.  

Representing IPOPHL as signatories were Acting Director General (ADG) Nathaniel S. Arevalo, Deputy Director General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan. DTI was represented by Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza D. Bautista, who is also the Supervising Head of the Competitiveness and Innovation Group (CIG), and Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Deputy Executive Director (DED) of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council (PCIDC) Secretariat. 

The project will also provide training for industry stakeholders and implement awareness campaigns to drive engagement and improve understanding among artists and creators on the ISNI system. 

The initiative will run for six months, during which IPOPHL, as an official ISNI registration agency, targets to assign over 5,700 ISNI numbers and/or issue copyright registration certificates to qualified applicants for free. 

Under the ISNI system, creators, including authors, musicians, visual artists, photographers and journalists, among others, may register for a unique, persistent 16-digit code that acts as a “digital passport.” 

The system will help ensure artists receive timely and proper compensation by streamlining the tracking and distribution of royalties across platforms and markets. It will also enable more accurate identification and attribution across physical jurisdictions and digital media platforms, increasing visibility and opening more market opportunities for creators. 

ISNI also offers stronger safeguards against misattribution, especially in online environments where copyright infringement is more prevalent, and could help distinguish human-created works from AI-generated content. 

ADG Arevalo emphasized the project’s timeliness and significance as more Filipino creatives expand toward global and digital markets.  

“In recognizing that creative industries are key drivers of an economy, it is imperative we mobilize support of Philippine creatives in fostering a more sustainable, inclusive and dynamic creative economy,” he said.  

DDG Credo-Cabochan emphasized that the agency’s collaboration with DTI to utilize the ISNI system “will undoubtedly help to strengthen copyright registration processes, while fostering greater awareness and a deeper appreciation of intellectual property rights among creators.” 

Major streaming, social media and e-commerce platforms dealing with creative content, such as Apple Music, Amazon, Meta and Youtube, have integrated ISNI into their rights management systems for artists, as have book publishers and national libraries.  

At present, ISNI has recorded over 16.5 million public individuals and group entities worldwide. 

DTI’s Asec. Bautista underscored how the ISNI system’s can improve recognition and IP protection. “Behind every product, every design, every brand, there is a Filipino who took a risk, who invested time, talent, and heart into their work. And that deserves not just recognition, but ownership,” she said. 

DED Ramos also echoed this sentiment, calling the project “an investment in the dignity of Filipino creativity.” 

The initiative will be implemented under the Wanna Make It Right with ISNI and Copyright Project, a strategic initiative under the Malikhaing Pinoy Program of DTI through the CIG. 

The MOA is anchored on Republic Act No. 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development (PCID) Act, which mandates the protection of IP rights of Filipino creative stakeholders. It also supports the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and aligns with the PCID Plan to boost competitiveness, mobilize support and strengthen IP awareness for a sustainable creative economy. # # # (Rawl Maliwat, Communications & Marketing Writer)