Filscap gets CMO accreditation from IPOPHL

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (Filscap) has secured accreditation as a collective management organization (CMO) from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to collect fees for the use of copyrighted musical works.

IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor told reporters on the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) General Membership Meeting yesterday the agency approved Filscap’s application for CMO accreditation last month.

The Filscap is the first CMO to get accreditation from the IPOPHL.

“The approval means they can go around and ask for royalty payments,” Blancaflor said.

As a CMO, Filscap authorizes 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 would be responsible for the accreditation of the CMOs.

Blancaflor said the Ipophl has also received an application from the Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc. (Filcols) for CMO accreditation.

Filcols is a non-stock, non-profit corporation mandated by authors, publishers and other rights holders in the text and image sector to collectively manage their reproduction rights.

Even as the Bureau of Copyright has yet to be set up, Blancaflor said applications for CMO accreditation could already be processed.

This, as the agency has designated Edwin Dating as officer-in-charge for CMO accreditation.

Blancaflor said the agency is awaiting the response of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the creation of the Bureau of Copyright.