Digital economy seen to benefit under site blocking measure

MANILA, Philippines —The passage of a site blocking law to curb pirated content will be beneficial to the country's economy, an official of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said.

IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said that a site blocking law will institutionalize its efforts against piracy, which has been damaging the country's creative industry.

“Nevertheless, a law will institutionalize our site-blocking regime to create more outcomes, unlock the full potential of our creative economy, and protect our consumers from the alarming cyber threats of piracy sites. IPOPHL is still hopeful to see a site-blocking law passed soon,” Barba said during a presentation of research on the country's piracy situation.

Barba estimates that the Philippines will have around $1 billion in revenue leakage in 2027 if concerns regarding online piracy continue. 

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, piracy takes away around 7.1% of the country's gross domestic product. 

This results in forgone revenue for the country and loss of livelihood, and even threatens to inflict malware on devices consuming pirated content, which can be a gateway for scams.

In 2022, the Philippines lost around $700 million due to the piracy of Filipino-made TV shows and movies, as the country has been named as one of the top consumers of pirated content in Asia, according to a YouGov 2022 Piracy Landscape Survey.

Motion Pictures Association senior executive vice president and global general Counsel Karyn Temple also said that the passage of the site blocking law would prove to be beneficial in the combat against piracy, as 60 countries that passed such measures showed progressive results.

“The enactment of site blocking legislation is the next key step towards protecting Filipino consumers, content creators, and the creative industry in the Philippines and around the world,” Temple said.

Two separate bills, Senate Bills 2150 and 2385, are currently filed in the Senate to amend the IP code and remove its existing limitations to cover electronic and online content within the definition of pirated goods.