IP to intensify drive vs piracy

MANILA, Philippines - The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) said yesterday that they will be intensifying their drive against piracy by conducting more raids and prosecuting more intellectual property rights violators.

In an interview, newly appointed IP Philippines chief Ricardo V. Blancaflor said that they are looking at seizing P5.6 billion worth of counterfeit products this year. This is the same figure as the previous year. According to Blancaflor, the collection was one of the highest.

However, he was unable to identify how big the local counterfeit market is and if it is increasing.

Blancaflor added that there are only 400 IP cases filed. He said most of the cases were being settled out of court. “The legal service in this country is very expensive and the judicial process is very long.”

To remedy this, he said they are lobbying for a full time public prosecutor that will handle all IT cases. Likewise, he said they would like to reduce the legal fees and storage fees. Also, he said they are pushing for special rules in order to fast track the resolution of IP cases.

Another thing, Blancaflor said that the penalty for IP violations is very low. He did not want to elaborate what penalties should be imposed. “I do not want to recommend.”

With regards to the inclusion of the Philippines in the watchlist of the US Trade Representative Office, Blancaflor said there must be a clear checklist on how the Philippines can remedy the problem and eventually be removed from the watchlist.

“We are hoping that we will not be downgraded,” Blancaflor said. “We intend to get out of the watchlist.” However, he conceded that this may not happen within his five year term because there is no transparent guideline on how to get out of the list.