FILSCAP seeks accreditation as CMO with IPOPHL

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc., (FILSCAP) is seeking accreditation as a collective management organization (CMO) with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL)  for the collection of fees for the use of copyrighted musical works.

“The FILSCAP hereby respectfully applies for accreditation as CMO pursuant to, and as required by, Section 183 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, as amended,” the group said in a letter to IPOPHL dated Jan. 10.

Established in 1965, the FILSCAP currently operates as a CMO for copyright owners of local and foreign musical works.

As a CMO, it is authorized and collects fees for the public performance and communication to the public of musical works of its members and affiliate groups’ member companies here.

The fees collected by FILSCAP are distributed to its members and affiliate groups.

Under Republic Act 10372 which amended the Intellectual Property Code and was signed by President Aquino in February last year, the IPOPHL could set-up the Bureau of Copyright which will be responsible for the accreditation of the CMOs.

IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor said earlier that while the FILSCAP already collects fees for the usage of works of composers, authors and publishers, many business establishments want to ensure that they pay royalties to organizations which are accredited by the government.

He said in a telephone interview that even as the IPOPHL is still waiting for the response of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)  for the creation of the Bureau of Copyright, applications for accreditation of CMOs could already be accepted.

“In the implementing rules and regulations (for the amended IP Code), while we don’t have the Bureau of Copyright, we can assign an official to accredit CMOs. We can designate an official only for purposes of accreditation,” he said.

He said Edwin Dating has been assigned as the officer-in-charge for CMO accreditation while the Bureau of Copyright is not yet in place.

“We are hopeful that within this year, within the first quarter, the Bureau of Copyright will already be set-up,” he said noting that the new agency would play a role in promoting awareness of intellectual property rights.

He said the Bureau of Copyright is not only expected to help increase the public’s awareness of the need to protect copyrighted works but also encourage innovation as well.