The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has strengthened efforts to combat piracy through the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), a Japanese organization tasked to counter content piracy and promote international content distribution.

Under the MOU, IPOPHL and CODA will build a cooperation mechanism to ensure the protection of copyrighted Philippine and Japanese works in their respective jurisdictions. Such a mechanism will cover streamlining the exchange of information, research work, data and trends that will enhance enforcement in both countries.

Both offices will also capacitate each other on best enforcement practices, such as on prevention, online piracy monitoring and rolling takedown and site-blocking.

IPOPHL and CODA also agree to participate in consultations for the development of policies toward their shared goal of instilling respect for IP deeper in society.

Additionally, both will strive to support each other’s awareness and education campaigns for the stronger protection of copyrighted works.

“This MOU will be a game-changer in our fight against piracy, a matter we must urgently address amid heightened IP violations during the pandemic,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba during the signing last January 25.

In the first pandemic year alone, 2020 saw a record number of 31 piracy complaints and reports filed at IPOPHL’s IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO).

According to data from piracy analytics firm MUSO, among the top piracy sites in the Philippines offered Japanese anime shows and movies for downloading.

International partnerships to fight borderless crime

“IPOPHL remains committed to building partnerships and collaborations not only within the Philippines but also globally to ensure maximum impact through shared resources,” IPOPHL Deputy Director General Teodoro C. Pascua said.

Barba emphasized that with increased digitalization and globalization, cross-border strategies will be critical in creating an enforcement environment that is responsive to the current needs of IP owners, supporting the international growth trajectory of creative economies around the world.

“Cross-border collaboration can help keep the wheels of creativity moving forward and help open greater international opportunities to the Philippine creative industry, which suffered massive job losses in this pandemic,” Barba added.

For his part, CODA Senior Executive Director Takero Goto lauded IPOPHL for its “long term contribution and achievements in the protection and promotion of IPs.”

“You have been the leader, playing an integral part, in the ASEAN by chairing the ANIEE (ASEAN Network of IP Enforcement Experts) from its foundations,”Goto said.

Goto also thanked IPOPHL for its assistance to CODA in its ongoing work to establish the International Anti-Piracy Organisation, which will be a coalition of over 30 companies dedicated to curb the illegal online distribution of anime, manga and other similar copyrighted content.

Founded in 2002 as a voluntary organization, CODA is a platform through which content makers and copyright-related organizations cooperate to reduce piracy around the world, and to actively promote the international distribution of Japanese content, such as music, films, animation, TV programs and video games. Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines