The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to curb piracy in the local film industry.
In a statement on Tuesday, IPOPHL said the partnership seeks to further the protection of the local film sector’s intellectual property rights.
“As the film industry is an integral part of the Philippine creative industries, in turn, a high-value contributor to the economy, it is mission-critical to help local cinema restart and rebuild stronger para sa isang ‘Bagong SineMula’ sa gitna man ng pandemya,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said.
Given that the local film industry is among the hardest hit during the pandemic, Barba said the “IPOPHL strengthens its commitment to help the industry not only recover from the present pandemic but also prosper in the long term” with this partnership.
Both parties, based on the MoU, will team up in promoting awareness, appreciation and enforcement of copyright among members of the sector and the public.
IPOPHL and FDCP are also working to “prevent and suppress all forms of piracy of Filipino films,” according to the MoU. Apart from this, they also aim to protect the film cultural heritage of the Philippines.
According to the survey by regional group Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and YouGov, the Philippines has the highest piracy rates in Southeast Asia as 49 percent admitted to streaming pirated films in the 12 months preceding October 2020.
It was also noted that piracy is one of the reasons for the decline in the revenues of the virtual 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival to P31 million from P955 million in 2019.
In April, IPOPHL signed an MoU with AVIA to eliminate piracy in the country’s creative sector, which can help the industry in driving economic recovery.
Both 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.
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.