THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it entered into a partnership to monitor piracy with the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the US trade group for the movie industry.
The IPOPHL said in a statement on Tuesday that the MPA committed to support the creation of a piracy monitoring system and a rolling site-blocking regime that will disrupt accessibility to piracy sites.
It said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on April 12 to finalize the partnership.
“This newest partnership with MPA elevates IPOPHL’s whole-of-society efforts in fostering a digital environment that respects intellectual property (IP) rights,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said.
Mr. Barba said the pandemic worsened digital privacy, leading to billions in lost revenue for legitimate content providers.
According to IPOPHL, the MOU allows for information-sharing to reduce digital piracy in the Philippines.
“The MPA also commits to conduct training on various piracy prevention measures. The group will also provide reasonable assistance to help IPOPHL and other relevant agencies effectively implement rolling site blocking and take down,” IPOPHL said.
Jan van Voorn, MPA executive vice-president of global content protection, said piracy remained rampant in the Philippines, with a negative impact on job creation and the overall economy.
“A site blocking framework, which incorporates transparency and due process, can be incredibly effective at reducing levels of online piracy in key markets like the Philippines,” Mr. Van Voorn said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
