DICT stresses need for law amending Intellectual Property Code

The Department of Information and Communications Technology has stressed the need to pass a law amending the Intellectual Property Code which will include provisions against high-tech online piracy.

“Amid the evolving technological complexities in cyber crimes, our IPC is in need of a strong defense to repel digital theft,” DICT’ spokesperson Renato Paraiso said.

There are at least two Senate bills and a House-approved measure which seek to strengthen the powers of the 27-year old IPC in the face of unabated infringement on the Filipino artists’ rights to creative assets.

Senate Bill 2150, authored by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, seeks to strengthen the powers and functions of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to combat online while Senate Bill 2385, authored by Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, seeks to enhance the powers of the IPOPHIL to curb digital theft.

At the House of Representatives, Albay Representative Joey Salceda’s HB 7600 was already approved on third and final reading.

Paraiso said the instruction of DICT Secretary Ivan Uy to the agency’s technical and legal teams was very clear: “Extend full support to legislative committees working on the immediate revision of our old IPC.”

He added revising the old IPC with provisions that confront the emerging cutting-edge technology being adopted by cyber criminals should be the first approach to effectively end online piracy.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) earlier said a study found that the Philippines lost $781 million in revenue in 2022 due to online piracy.

Testifying before the Senate trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship committee in April, IPOPHL Director General Atty. Rowel Barba said the Media Partners Asia's study looked into the country's losses due to video piracy. 

"In 2022, there were 20 million Filipinos who downloaded from illegal sites and the loss was $781 million. And if nothing is done, by 2027, the number of illegal users will increase to 31 million and the leakage will be $1 billion. Hindi pa po kasama 'yung (excluding the) taxes," Barba said.—Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News