The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), GMA Network, Inc (GMA) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Join To Co-Host Anti-Piracy Symposium

The symposium, attended by over 80 government officials and content industry representatives, discussed effective strategies to disrupt and curb egregious levels of digital piracy, the efficacy of site blocking, and effective consumer messaging to make internet users more aware of the dangers of downloading egregious malware from piracy websites and services.

Undersecretary Sharon Garin of the Department of Energy, a long-time supporter of the Filipino creative industry, gave the key note address in which she addressed the challenges faced by the film industry:

“With the rise of the internet and digital accessibility, unfortunately, there is also an increase in the piracy and illegal streaming of copyrighted content. It is high time that we seriously look into exploring the areas of improvement on the existing piracy protection in the country in order to protect the interests of the artists and copyright owners and producers as well as coming up with other strategies to promote legal, safe and reliable streaming online”.

Congressman Jose “Joey” Salceda, provided an address that was read out at the symposium, in which he stated:

“If our creators cannot defend what they own, they will not be encouraged to create. There are signs that the sector is already stagnating, in a country whose mass market is Asia's most prolific users of smartphones - easy avenues for spreading pirated content……. Site blocking is critical to intellectual property protection because the internet has accelerated the transmission of pirated content…(and)…I am pleased to report to you that House Bill No. 7600, which are amendments to the Intellectual Property Code to introduce site blocking mechanisms, is now in the House floor, after being approved by the Committee on Trade and Industry”.

IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba commented during the discussion:

“To ensure that we can implement effective strategies that can disrupt and curb online piracy, IPOPHL first needs to create an environment for a trusted and robust intellectual property (IP) enforcement system with effective enforcement and dispute resolution. This is to assure our stakeholders that if they have issues concerning their IP rights, they can rely on an IP enforcement system that is prompt, responsive, efficient, and effective”.

"As such, IPOPHL is implementing a three-pronged approach to achieve this goal. First is by increasing awareness on IP rights protection and sustaining enforcement efforts. Second is by implementing swift site-blocking and notice and takedown mechanisms. Third is by establishing a case tracking system for profiling of IP violators, identifying predicate crimes, and generating IP case statistics.”

Jan van Voorn, Executive Vice President & Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association and Head of ACE, said:

“Online piracy is a global criminal enterprise and to combat such criminally syndicated services, our industry needs to work collaboratively and collectively as part of a global network. Streaming piracy websites and services put consumers at risk of egregious malware, undermine investment, reduce tax contributions to governments, and stifle creativity. ACE is grateful to be invited to partner with the Philippines government in this important anti-piracy symposium and we welcome the new legislation before government which would allow for the blocking of egregious piracy sites being operated by crime groups located outside of the Philippines”.

Atty Jose Vener Ibarra, Assistant Vice President for Legal Affairs, GMA said:

“Piracy deprives content creators and content owners the ability to maximize their economic returns and hampers its desire to create more jobs and contribute more taxes to government. It also deprives the consumers the chance to experience the full entertainment experience of online content and opens the door to malwares and spywares that threatens privacy. GMA is committed to work with government and like-minded partners to form a broad alliance to fight piracy.”

About IPOPHL

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is the government agency mandated to administer and implement state policies on intellectual property (IP) to strengthen the protection of IP rights in the country.

Under this mandate, IPOPHL conducts development-oriented, regulatory, enforcement, adjudicatory, and policy-making functions to protect and secure the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists and other gifted citizens to their IP and creations.

IPOPHL aims to build a more inclusive and robust IP system serving the needs of Filipinos for a more progressive Philippines using IP assets for inclusive economic and social development by 2030.

For more information about IPOPHL, visit www.ipophil.gov.ph

About The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) is the world's leading coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing digital piracy. Driven by a comprehensive approach to addressing piracy through criminal referrals, civil litigation and cease-and-desist operations, ACE has achieved many successful global enforcement actions against illegal streaming services and sources of unauthorized content and their operators. Drawing upon the collective expertise and resources of its' current number of 52 members (including GMA Network, Inc) and reinforced by the content protection operations of the Motion Picture Association, ACE protects the creativity and innovation that drive the global growth of core copyright and entertainment industries. The current governing board members for ACE are: Amazon, Apple TV+, NBCUniversal, Netflix Studios LLC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, ViacomCBS, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Charles Rivkin is Chairman of ACE and the Motion Picture Association. For more information, please visit www.alliance4creativity.com.

About GMA Network, Inc

GMA Network, Inc. is the Philippines' leading broadcasting company, which produces the most innovative, most trusted, and top-rating TV programs.

Also known as the Kapuso Network, GMA brings superior Entertainment and responsible, unbiased, and timely delivery of comprehensive and accurate News and Information to Filipinos anywhere in the world - through its TV, radio, online platforms and wide array of other media-related ventures: program syndication, film production, music publishing and distribution, set design, audio-visual production, and new media.

Based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement data from January to December 2022, GMA Network's combined people net reach including GTV and its other digital channels was at 96 percent or 78 million viewers in Total Philippines. Headquartered in Quezon City, GMA operates a network of 95 TV stations and 21 radio stations throughout the country.

Officially listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007, GMA Network, Inc. is regarded as one of the most notable organizations that promote sustainability in the country, being the first media and broadcasting company in the Philippines to sign with the United Nations (UN) Global Compact.

For more stories about the Kapuso Network, visit www.GMANetwork.com.