Think tank backs revision of IP code to boost drive vs piracy

The Intellectual Property Code should be revised to boost the campaign against piracy and curb its negative effects on the economy and the creative industry, Stratbase ADR Institute said.

The think tank said that the 27-year-old law should be reviewed as the continued piracy of creative content has brought «great demoralization» to local creatives, and has been used as a tool by scammers and fraudsters.

«Online piracy disrupts the marketplace of creative works because it allows the use of illegal means to benefit from the work of others. It causes great demoralization, on top of financial loss, to those who invest not only their resources but also their hard work and passion in what they do,» Stratbase said.

Records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that piracy takes away around 7.1 percent of the country's gross domestic product. It is a foregone revenue for the country and loss of livelihood, and it even threatens to inflict malware on devices consuming pirated content, which can be a gateway for scams.

The Philippines currently does not have a law to block sites with pirated content.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and internet service providers team up to put up stop gap measures to block sites with pirated content.

In 2022, the Philippines lost around $700 million due to the piracy of Filipino- made TV shows and movies. The country has been named as one of the top consumers of pirated content in Asia, according to a YouGov 2022 Piracy Landscape Survey.

IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba estimated that the Philippines will have around $1 billion in revenue leakage in 2027 if concerns regarding online piracy continue.

IPOPHL said that revising the 27-year-old IP code and mandating authorities to disable access to online sites infringing copyrighted materials will be much welcomed, noting that they have been advocating for its amendment and are ready to implement it once passed.

Stratbase said that revising the law will help empower concerned government agencies to go after suspicious sites and shut them down.

«Online criminals and intellectual