Senator Mark Villar hears the proposed amendment to the Intellectual Property Code which focuses on anti-piracy preventive measures

As the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship, Senator Mark Villar led the public hearing of the amendment to the Intellectual Property Code, particularly on empowering the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) with additional powers.

"The bills we are hearing today are aiming to empower the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to disable access to sites which infringe or facilitate copyright infringement and introduce procedures for preventive action and site blocking," Senator Mark said.

He highlighted the need to amend the Code in response to the digitalizing ecosystem as regulation of different forms of digital property underscores, not just the proper government oversight on the digital ecosystem but also the protection of the copyright and creative industries.

"We received multiple reports on the increasing rate of online piracy in the country. These illegal acts endanger our creative industry as online content piracy, during the pandemic alone, reported a 1 billion dollar potential revenue losses to local video producers, distributors, and aggregators," Senator Mark emphasized.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) report on counterfeiting and piracy activities show that in 2020 alone, there is an "obviously striking surge" for these illegal activities which surpassed the number of reports and complaints received from 2016 to 2020. There is a 40% surge in alleged piracy for movies and shows, 25% for e-Books, and 16% for software products. A study also revealed that more than 60% of Filipino consumers watch pirated content, which is the highest in Southeast Asia.

"Kailangan nating tutukan ang pagdami ng mga pirated sites at copyrighted intellectual properties dahil malaki ang nagiging negatibong epekto nito sa ating creative industries," Senator Mark said.

"The Philippine digital economy is valued at 17 billion dollars in 2021 and is projected to expand to 40 billion dollars by 2025. This manifests the changing economic landscape leaning towards digital products and services. We need to ensure that our laws remain on par with the dynamic changes of the digital ecosystem," Senator Mark added.

After the first public hearing earlier today, 30 April 2024, consultative meetings through the Technical Working Group with the private and public sectors will be held to facilitate the efficient crafting of the bill, anchored on Senator Mark's mission of protecting the creative and copyright industries.