IPOPHL reports 40% decline in piracy, counterfeiting complaints

THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has recorded a 40% decline in the number of reports and complaints related to counterfeiting and piracy from January to November on the back of increased public awareness.

Teodoro C. Pascua, IPOPHL deputy director general, said in a media briefing on Monday that the agency has recorded 92 reports and complaints on counterfeiting and piracy, down from the 153 reports and complaints posted in the same period last year.

“We surmise that the complaints went down because there are actions already. The complaints lessened in 2022 because people already know that they can complain,” Mr. Pascua said.

Of the total, the IPOPHL has received 70 reports of counterfeiting and 22 reports of piracy during the 11-month period.

Figures from IPOPHL showed that 61.9% of counterfeited goods in the market are apparel (shoes, clothes, bags, and eyewear), followed by perfume and beauty products at 7.9%, gadgets at 7.9%, food at 4.8%, home items at 4.8%, automotive materials at 3.2%, cigarettes at 3.2%, and pharmaceutical products at 1.6%.

Meanwhile, software is the top concern for piracy at 33.3%, followed by shows and movies at 28.6%, artworks and paintings at 19%, general e-books at 14.3%, and educational books and e-books at 4.8%.

The IPOPHL said that 76.1% of total violation reports came from concerned citizens while 23.4% of intellectual property rights and complaints came from brand owners.

It added that the online space is still the top source of violations, led by Facebook at 60.6%, followed by other websites at 15%, e-commerce platform Shopee at 12.1%, Instagram at 6%, and another e-commerce platform Lazada at 5%. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave