The National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) seized P24.9 billion worth of counterfeit goods from its inspection and raid operations last year.
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophl) Director General Rowel Barba said in a virtual event on Thursday that the record-high confiscation of illicit items exceeded the P23.6-billion record in 2018.
The 2021 figure is also more than double the P9.8 billion in 2020. Last year, NCIPR secured 324 search warrants, more than the 109 in 2020.
“We attribute our record seizure to increased efforts and better strategy of our NCIPR members. We will continue to intensify our enforcement efforts, from our borders to our online markets,” Barba said. Ipophl leads the 13-member NCIPR.
Ipophl Deputy Director General Teodoro Pascua said that bulk of the confiscated items were cigarettes and medicines; others include bags, shoes and apparel.
According to Japan Tobacco International, the number of illicit cigarettes entering the country rose to 6.8 percent in the first quarter of last year from the same period in 2020.
In an earlier interview with the BusinessMirror, Ipophl said that “counterfeit cigarettes are cheaper and with many having less income today—and based as well on our preliminary seizures data—there is cause for concern for more fake cigarette trade in a pandemic.”
“We also strategized on directing our efforts to the ‘bigger fish’ by targeting large warehouses and logistics centers in various cities which proved to be hot spots for counterfeit goods,” Barba said.
He said that they are also working with the local government units in institutionalizing an Anti-Counterfeiting and Anti-Piracy Policy.
Doing so, he explained, can “ensure the strict implementation of the IP Code and foster a culture of fair business practices and respect for IP rights at the local level.”
Last year, the agency’s IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) also registered a record-high of 152 counterfeiting and piracy complaints.
Of this figure, counterfeit goods comprised 76 percent while the remaining were pirated content.
“This surpasses the previous record of 121 complaints and reports received in 2020 when we saw a boom in e-commerce amid the pandemic. This record complaints and reports could signify increased awareness of our IEO as an effective channel for reporting and filing complaints on IP violations,” Barba said.
IP infringing web sites
Meanwhile, Barba called for the passage of the proposed Internet Transaction Act (ITA) to combat the proliferation of web sites involved in piracy. This, as the surge in online transactions following the mobility restrictions in pandemic has resulted in more cases of piracy.
Barba expressed hopes that the legislators will touch on the proposed ITA when sessions resume as this covers the matter at hand as well.
The ITA or “An Act Providing Protection to Consumers and Merchants Engaged in Internet Transactions, Creating for the Purpose the Electronic Commerce Bureau, and Appropriating Funds Therefor” seeks to boost the e-commerce segment by “building mutual trust between online sellers and consumers.”
The bill also aims to ensure fair e-commerce business practices among digital players, protection of data privacy rights and product safety.
For their part, Barba said that Ipophl will implement this year a rolling site-blocking regime to make IP infringing sites inaccessible.
“We have been working hard for this, exactly why we have been recognized by the Motion Picture Association of the US as a Government Leader for Site Blocking in Asia Pacific,” he said.