IPOPHL, Avia to fight piracy in creative sector

tHE intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is ramping up efforts to curb piracy in the creative sector via its partnership with Asia Video industry Association (AVIA).

in a statement over the weekend, IPOPHL said it recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AVIA to eliminate piracy in the country, which can help the creative industry in driving economic recovery. AVIA is a group that aims to create a sustainable business environment in the Asia Pacific region, allowing television and video companies to innovate and grow.

“this MOU elevates IPOPHL’S holistic approach in fostering a society that respects ip rights,” IPOPHL Director general Rowel S. Barba said during the virtual ceremonial signing last April 8.

the parties are targeting to develop mechanisms and channels for sharing relevant information that can counter piracy in a timely manner.

Apart from building the expertise and technical knowledge of local authorities, IPOPHL and AVIA also want to establish piracy monitoring and rolling site blocking processes and strategies. Barba hopes that the partnership will “successfully stamp out the infringers and enable filipino film and video producers, artists and contributors to wholly enjoy the rewards they deserve and to continue creating fresh original works for the benefit of society, culture and economy.”

He noted that the creative economy was among the sectors severely impacted by the lockdown measures amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

With more consuming digital content, AVIA CEO Louis Boswell noted that piracy has been growing stronger as well. Site blocking is seen as the solution given that hosts of pirated content or websites are located outside the country. “Site blocking is a responsible means of not allowing access to pirated sites .... We have experience now in multiple markets all around the region that site blocking, where it is done properly, can be incredibly effective at reducing the levels of piracy in a market,” Boswell said. “And we’re very keen to see this happen in the Philippines.”

the industry group will be providing information on piracy, hold seminars on piracy, and offer recommendations to develop the mechanisms for online piracy monitoring and rolling site blocking under the agreement.