Youth biggest consumer of pirated digital content

MANILA, Philippines — The results of a survey of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) showed that the youth consume pirated digital content the most among the different age groups.

IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba told participants of the Second Grand IP Forum held recently that it is the youngest in the five age groups that support pirated digital content the most.

Out of the 1,000 respondents of the survey conducted with the World Intellectual Property Organization last year, Barba said 28 percent of those who downloaded free movies, 14 percent of those who read free e-books, and 35 percent of those who downloaded free music came from the youngest group segment, with ages 18 to 19.

Ease in access to free content and peers doing the same were among the reasons cited by some young respondents for their consumption of pirated digital content.

“Given these findings, the work to create an IP-conscious and respectful generation must be at the top of our country’s agenda. We need to take active measures to help them understand the importance of IP as young as they are,” Barba said.

Barba said the IPOPHL’s ongoing work to develop a rolling site-blocking regime is expected to prevent the youth and other individuals’ access  to piracy sites.

Apart from encouraging the youth to stop supporting IP infringing practices, IPOPHL will also continue efforts to promote the creation of IP assets.

“With the youth as the biggest users of the internet and adopters of technology, we believe they are best positioned to take up the challenge of leading the Philippines into a bright digital future,” Barba added.

Through its Young IP Advocates (YIPA) program, IPOPHL  is promoting respect for IP rights among the youth and encouraging them to create their own high-value IP assets.

With 14 clubs established across 47 YIPA-member schools, IPOPHL is looking to come up with an IP policy framework to guide the clubs.

Barba revealed that IPOPHL would soon be creating IP policy guidelines for the growing network of IP clubs to ensure that their awareness campaign is effective and is sustained in the long term.

“In the near future, we hope these IP policy guidelines will also carry standards that will increase IP filings among YIPA members and create more IP rights holders as young as high school students,” Barba said.