GLOBE Telecom Inc. is supporting the bill that will essentially block web sites that illegally distribute copyrighted materials in the Philippines.
Ernest L. Cu, the company’s president, said the Philippine Online Infringement Act, filed recently by Sen. Vicente C. Sotto III, will help stop online piracy, which has created a dent on the earnings of content creators and the whole Philippine entertainment industry.
“The economic and social impact of online piracy is profound. Revenue losses are in the millions and thousands of jobs are affected due to a myriad of illegal streaming web sites and illicit streaming devices or ISDs. More important, these illegal sites and devices put customers at risk not only because of its content but specifically, malware,” Cu said.
The bill, he added, is an “important first step” toward the creation of more policies and legislations that will help curb the piracy issues in the Philippines, where “rogue site operators act with impunity.”
Globe, which partially owns online streaming app Hooq, has been helping the entertainment industry fight piracy and protect intellectual property rights. So far since 2017, it has blocked roughly 2,500 illegal sites that hosted lewd contents and child pornography.
“There is no silver bullet to deterring online piracy. What is required is a holistic solution to include consumer outreach, cooperation with technology platforms and other intermediaries, enforcement, and critically, capability to disable access to egregious piracy web sites through effective site blocking,” Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) General Manager Neil Gane said.
Cu is a board member in AVIA.