MANILA, Philippines – As the Philippines continues to be kept out of the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Notorious Markets List, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) intends to strengthen efforts to be taken off the watchlist of countries with intellectual property rights (IPR) violations.
According to IPOPHL director General Ricardo Blancaflor, being out of the latest Out of Cycle Review of Notorious Markets for a second year is a positive development.
The USTR first took off the Quiapo shopping district from its Notorious Markets List in its report released in December 2012.
The Quiapo shopping district was among the markets which took action to address widespread availability of pirated or counterfeit goods.
“These are welcome developments but we are still working on additional submissions to strengthen our national position with regards to the 301 watchlist,” Blancaflor said.
Given the recent development and favorable feedback of American companies and associations on the government’s efforts to protect IPR, the IPOPHL hopes the country would be taken off the watchlist.
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“Some American companies and associations gave positive comments on Philippine efforts to address IP protection and we acknowledged these.
We addressed constructively some of the concerns,” he said.
In the USTR’s 2013 Special 301 Report, the Philippines was retained in the watchlist of countries with IP violations, subject to further review of progress in key areas.
Countries placed on the watchlist are those which need to address underlying IPR problems.
The USTR said in the report it wants the Philippines to take important steps to address piracy over the Internet.
It also said that while the Philippine government has already moved to modernize its copyright and IPR enforcement regimes with the amendment of the IP Code, it needs to see the implementing regulations that would further strengthen and clarify the law.
Republic Act 10372 or the Amendments to the IP Code was signed by President Aquino in February last year.
The USTR is scheduled to release the Special 301 report in April.
