Philippines still off US intellectual property watch list

MANILA, Philippines — For the 12th straight year, the Philippines has remained out of the United States’ list of countries with intellectual property rights enforcement concerns.

Counterfeit medicines, however, remain a concern in the country, according to the Special 301 Report of the US Trade Representative (USTR) released yesterday.

The Philippines, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam are leading sources of counterfeit medicines distributed globally, the USTR said, citing the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and European Union Intellectual Property Office.

Best practices in protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights in the country include the launching of an e-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry in March 2024, the USTR said.

Awareness campaigns by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines were cited, as well as the IPOPHL’s Pirated Inferno comic and partnership with a local media company for the “Stream Responsibly, Fight Piracy” campaign.

The IPOPHL also held a National Judicial Colloquium on Intellectual Property Adjudication, which included the participation of judges through the Philippine Judicial Academy.

Countries on the USTR’s priority watch list are Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Venezuela.

“These countries will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year,” the USTR said.