Congress of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
05/22/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/22/2023 04:07
House passes bill strengthening IPOPHL, efforts against piracy, counterfeiting
PRESS RELEASES
SOURCE: Press and Public Affairs Bureau
House passes bill strengthening IPOPHL, efforts against piracy, counterfeiting
22 May 2023 06:05:41 PM
THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final
reading a bill that will strengthen the powers and functions of the
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and amend
the Intellectual Property Code (IP Code) to adapt to recent
advancements in technology and further address piracy and
counterfeiting.
Voting 267 against zero and one abstention, the chamber approved House Bill (HB) No. 7600 which would
give IPOPHL additional powers to prevent counterfeit or pirated goods
or contents.
"With the proposed additional functions of the Intellectual Property
Office and the new amendments to Republic Act No. 8293, we hope to
respond to recent advances in technology since its last revision. We
also hope that with this important legislation, we will be able to
adopt some of the current best practices in the international
community," Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said.
"Our laws must also respond to prevalent and more advanced forms of
piracy and counterfeiting nowadays and with this proposed law, we hope
to support governmental efforts that would protect intellectual
property," Speaker Romualdez added.
Some of the principal authors of the bill are Reps. Joey Sarte
Salceda, Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Stella Luz Quimbo, Mario Vittorio
"Marvey" A. Mariño, Joselito Sacdalan, Jose Alvarez, and others.
The bill defines counterfeit and pirated goods and authorizes the
IPOPHL to gather intelligence information, and investigate violations
of the IP Code and develop countermeasures to deter counterfeit or
pirated goods or content.
If passed into law, the measure will also allow IPOPHL to visit
establishments and businesses suspected to be in violation of RA 8293.
HB 7600 also adds a new Section 216-A on Preventive Action on Online
Infringement which empowers the IPOPHL, after due notice and hearing,
to disable access to an online location or website and prevent further
access to an online location whose primary purpose or primary effect
is to infringe the copyright or facilitate copyright infringement.
It would also allow copyright owners or the exclusive licensee of
copyright to submit an application to the IPOPHL to order the
disabling of access to any infringing online location identified in
the application.
The bill likewise increases the range of administrative fines that can
be imposed by the Director of Legal Affairs from a minimum of P5,000
and a maximum of P150,000 to a minimum of P 100,000 and a maximum of
P1 million. The maximum additional fine for each day of a continuing
violation is also raised from P1,000 to P10,000. (END)