The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) welcomed the Creative Industries Development Law or Republic Act (RA) 11904, which lapsed into law last 27 July, as it will enable them to implement the much-needed boost in raising intellectual property (IP) awareness across the creative economy and capacitating sectors to protect their IPs, especially their copyright and related rights.
In a statement, IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said they are pleased to finally see the Philippine Creative Industries Development (PCID) Bill a law.
“Since the initiative to develop this measure began, IPOPHL has been in full support of and cooperation with Congress and the Senate to see this legislative measure come to fruition,” Barba added.
RA 11904 mandates the creation of a long-term plan for promoting and developing creative industries, aiming to spur efforts to sustain excellence in Filipinos’ creative endeavors through the protection of their IP rights, among many other ways of support.
To deliver on these mandates, the law created the 19-member PCID Council, which IPOPHL is part of as an ex-officio member.
“The PCID Law will surely provide IPOPHL its much-needed boost in raising IP awareness across the creative economy and capacitating sectors to protect their IP, especially their copyright and related rights,” according to Barba, as he admitted that more has to be done to address the lack of knowledge and understanding of IP rights among creative industries.
Further, he stressed that IPOPHL has been reaching out to creative talents through intensified awareness and education campaigns and its ongoing Copyright Plus Project to bridge this gap.
“Our momentum is fast accelerating as evidenced by the surge in copyright deposits and recordation at IPOPHL, which is one way to prove ownership over a work,” he added.
IPOPHL said that from January to June this year, copyright deposits and recordation jumped by 129 percent year-on-year to 1,722.