AVIA and CAP laud House passage of bill vs IP piracy

THE Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) warmly congratulated Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda for the passage of House bill 7600 amending the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines to block piracy sites in the Philippines.

To become law, a bill needs to be passed by both the House and the Senate and the successful passage of HB7600, through the House, is a major step towards the enactment of site blocking legislation in the Philippines.

AVIA and CAP believe Salceda’s bill will go a long way to addressing the rampant online piracy in the Philippines that is damaging the growth of the Philippines economy as well as providing real harm to consumers. AVIA and CAP have been working with the Philippine government and the local content industry for some time to champion the passage of site blocking legislation to address this concern, including a number of meetings and workshops such as an anti-piracy seminar hosted by AVIA, CAP and the Globe Group in Manila in September 2022 where Salceda was the keynote speaker.

2023 figures from a study conducted by Yougov and commissioned by AVIA and CAP showed that almost 60 percent of Philippine consumers watch pirated content—an alarming number that has a direct impact on the Philippine creative industry and consumer safety.

However, the study also showed growing consumer awareness of the damage caused by piracy, with 90 percent of consumers believing that piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines. The study also showed a path ahead with 45 percent of Philippine consumers believing a government or court order for ISPS to block pirate websites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.

Salceda’s bill has been strongly supported by the local industry with numerous representatives, including GMA Network, Inc., the Globe Group and KROMA Entertainment attending the Second Reading of the HB 7600 in person.

Matt Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, noted, “The evidence continues to show that site blocking, when implemented in an efficient and effective way, and ensuring the necessary elements of due process, is an incredibly powerful tool to both stop online piracy and protect consumers from the unseen harm caused by piracy, and we applaud Congressman Salceda for his determination to address the issue.” Cheetham also noted that earlier this month, Senator Jinggoy Estrada introduced matching legislation in the Senate (Senate Bill 2150) for Salceda’s bill.

“With the successful passage of Congressman Salceda’s Bill in the House, we look forward to the successful passage of matching legislation in the Senate that will allow the Philippines to grow its economy and protect its consumers from online harm,” he added.

“The Globe Group congratulates Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda for steering House Bill No. 7600 towards its triumphant passage at the House. This is a landmark achievement for the creative industry, with the bill a step closer to becoming a law. We are inching closer towards ensuring more stringent protection for our content creators and their livelihood,” said Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto.

“Piracy not only jeopardizes the livelihood of content creators and other works in the creative industry but also worsens consumer exposure to malware risks. Revisions to the IP code are essential for bolstering a digital landscape that is secure and equitable,” she said.

“GMA Network fully supports this extremely important legislation which would benefit and protect not just the creative industry but the viewing public as well. Website blocking for copyright infringement has been proven as an effective tool to fight digital piracy and support legal content creators and services, whether it’s Tv, film, books, video games, or music. It is about time that the Philippines enact a site blocking law that would help curtail the losses of an already struggling industry,” said GMA Network, Inc.’s Assistant Vice President for Litigation and Special Projects, Legal Affairs Atty Jose Vener Ibarra.