Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda
MANILA, Philippines — House Bill (HB) No. 7600, which seeks to enhance the powers and functions of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPO-PHL), has been approved by the House of Representatives on the third reading. reading.
HB No. 7600, which seeks to amend the Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, was approved with 267 lawmakers voting in its favor, with none voting against it and just one abstention.
If the bill is enacted, additional wordings would be placed on R.A. No. 8293 to broaden the scope of what would constitute counterfeit or pirated goods — and what kind of goods online can be considered counterfeit items.
The bill was passed on second reading last Tuesday. In his sponsorship speech, Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda assured the public that people’s right to due process would not be violated with the strengthening of R.A. No. 8293
“In practical terms, it allows the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to receive complaints and petitions to take down infringed content posted online or to conduct site blocking. The complaints can be heard in a simplified manner that also adheres to the constitutional requirement of due process – including means for appeal,” Salceda said.
“And within five days, the IPO-PHIL can decide on the complaint, and 48 hours thereafter, compel an internet service provider to block the offending site,” he added.
The bill also seeks to provide IPO-PHL more enforcement functions, including the gathering of intelligence information, the conduct of investigations, and the development of countermeasures to piracy.
It also places responsibility on internet providers to comply with orders to disable websites found to have been hosting pirated content.