Copyright filings up 122% in 2021

MANILA, Philippines — Copyright filings with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) jumped 122 percent year-on-year in 2021, as the agency stepped up efforts to promote the importance of IP registration.

In a statement yesterday, the IPOPHL said copyright deposits reached 2,086 last year, more than double the 940 in 2020.

IPOPHL attributed the increase its efforts to increase awareness on the benefits of copyright registration.

“Copyright security is better achieved when creators opt to register their original works with IPOPHL,” IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said.

He said current registration rates have made IPOPHL services more available for artists who struggle financially, especially if they want to secure a bulk of their artworks.

As part of efforts to promote IP protection, specifically copyright registration, Barba recently visited the Anakbanwa Exhibit in Dagupan City in Pangasinan where select works of resident artists were featured.

The project, spearheaded by Pangasinan Rep. Christopher de Venecia, aims to help resident artists have better appreciation of the value of their works to culture and the economy.

“The goal is to empower our local creatives here in the fourth district to be able to avail the protection of their IP and to understand their rights and privileges,” De Venecia said, citing emerging infringement trends growing online have made IP protection more important.

“But also, consumers must understand their responsibility not to infringe on anyone’s IP. I always say that a strong foundation of a strong and vibrant creative economy is a strong and vibrant IP regime,” he said.

During the meeting with IPOPHL, resident artists narrated their own experiences of IP violations due to little understanding of their rights as creators.

Resident artists also consulted IPOPHL experts on how to properly protect their works.

“We assure our stakeholders that they can secure better protection once they entrust us with keeping these works safe through registration,” Barba said.