Retail trade of pirated goods remains a big problem in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Retail trade of pirated materials continues to be a problem in several areas in the Philippines, a US-based private sector coalition said yesterday.

In a letter to the United States Trade Representative for Intellectual Property Office and Innovation, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IPPA) named Greenhills, Quiapo, Davao, Antipolo, Dasmarinas, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu City, Makati Cinema Square and Metrowalk as areas where pirated materials are sold.

The IPPA issued the letter in response to the request of the USTR on the 2010 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets.

“Several areas of the Philippines are plagued by retail pirate trade,” IPPA said.

Worse, IPPA said that Davao’s pirate trade has largely been untouched. IPPA identified Cebu City as a major hub in the operations of pirates in the Visayas.

“The sale of pirate and counterfeit optical media also remains unchecked in Antipolo, Dasmarinas, and Cagayan de Oro,” IPPA said.

“In addition, retail piracy of software and games can still be observed in Makati Cinema Square (Makati City), Metro-walk (Pasig City), and practically every mall in metropolitan Manila,” the group added.

IPPA said that market intelligence also suggests an increase of locally burned pirated discs (including a recent proliferation of pirate DVD-Rs) from Quiapo Barter Trade complex.

Their intelligence information likewise showed that Pirate DVDs remain at hotspots like Virra Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, and Circle C Mall in Project 8, Quezon City, although they are now sold in a clandestine fashion through the use of runners.

The music software and games on the other hand are openly sold on discs or offered for downloading.

The IIPA said they agree with USTR’s assessment that global piracy continues to thrive due in part to marketplaces, both physical and online, that deal in infringing goods, and is grateful for the US government’s renewed focus on examples of such marketplaces that have been the subject of enforcement action or that merit further investigation for copyright infringements.

The IIPA is a private sector coalition formed in 1984 to represent the US copyright-based industries in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve international protection of copyrighted materials. IIPA comprises seven trade associations, each representing a significant segment of the US community. These member associations represent over 1,900 US companies producing and distributing materials protected by copyright laws throughout the world.