Government steps up efforts vs online counterfeit trade

MANILA, Philippines — The government wants to intensify efforts against online counterfeit trade amid growing concern over the proliferation of fake goods on digital platforms, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

“For IPOPHL, what’s important now is how we can control proliferation of counterfeits in the online (space). That has a more important or more valuable input rather than (a) physical (market) like Greenhills,” IPOPHL director general Teodoro Pascua told reporters.

With many complaints concerning counterfeit goods being sold online, Pascua said he plans to meet with other members of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) to discuss steps to ramp up efforts against fake items online.

NCIPR is an interagency body responsible for crafting and implementing plans and policies to strengthen IP protection and enforcement in the country.

Pascua said IPOPHL also plans to come up with a study to determine the value of counterfeit goods being sold online.

“We need data on how big the violations of lP online are,” he said.

Pascua said the government will need the support of brand owners in the study to curb online counterfeit trade.

He said the complaints on counterfeit goods should be initiated by brand owners, as IP rights are private rights.

As part of efforts to strengthen IP enforcement, he said the IPOPHL also wants to monitor the destruction and disposal of confiscated counterfeit items.

At present, the government is strengthening IP enforcement at Greenhills Shopping Center, which was identified by the United States as one of the most persistent high-risk markets for counterfeit trade.

In its 2025 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy report released earlier this year, the US Trade Representative said Greenhills Shopping Center remains one of the physical markets that reportedly engage in, facilitate or benefit from trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

To help address these concerns, the IPOPHL launched an IP help desk at the Greenhills Shopping Center last April.

The IP help desk aims to help sellers adjust their business practices to comply with IP laws.