Angara seeks stricter policy vs Internet piracy

Sen. Edgardo Angara on Wednesday sought amendments to the Intellectual Property Code to battle the upsurge in Internet piracy.

In a statement, Angara said the Intellectual Property Code has not kept pace with advances made in the area of intellectual property rights infringement in e-commerce.

He said the proposed amendments in the IPC should give recognition to the rights of performers, phonogram producers and broadcasters as accorded authors of artistic and literary works "by acknowledging their right to control or be compensated for the various ways in which their works are used or enjoyed by others."

"With the Philippines' ratification of the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), there is a need for amendments to the IPC to contain the additional obligations imposed by the provisions in said treaties," said Angara who chairs the Committee on Science and Technology.

"While our Intellectual Property Code was shaped with a consummate vision at the time of its enactment, its provisions have not kept pace with the advances made in the area of intellectual property rights infringement in E-Commerce.

He said that IPC amendments must address the technological measures provisions in Article 11 of the WCT and Article 18 of the WPPT; and the rights management information provisions (Article 12 of the WCT and WPPT) of the Internet Treaties.

Angara shared that since 1980, the Philippines has been a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which seeks "to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among States."

He said Senate Bill 880 seeks to impose more stringent penalties for rights-violators, while immediate judicial relief and alternative options are proposed to be accorded actual and potential victims of copyright infringement.

"The overriding goal of this proposal is to provide an Internet environment where it is safe to distribute and license protected material. Because in an increasingly global arena, nothing less than a global effort will ensure the effective protection and development of intellectual property," added Angara.