Senate of the Philippines. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — An advocacy group on Thursday has once again called on the Senate to speed up the passage of anti-online piracy bills, as delaying it would result in more losses for the creative industry.
According to CitizenWatch co-convenor Tim Abejo, the absence of such laws may result in “the dampening of the creative spirit out of frustration and a sense of injustice.”
He also noted how some websites adopting piracy even carry content promoting the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), or minors being exploited to perform sexual acts online.
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Other sites, said Abejo also deceive users into sharing sensitive data for cyber-attacks on individuals or institutions alike.
“It’s high time the Senate acted on this urgent matter,” Abejo said in a statement.
“Not doing so sends a sad message to our talented Filipinos that the socio-cultural value of their skills and the creative industry’s potential as an economic driver is not a priority and they may be better off bringing their artistry to other countries, and many have.”
While acknowledging Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code, which was passed in 1997, Abejo noted that it does not recognize new technologies like the Internet, with the IP Code not even including electronic and online content in its definition of pirated goods.
“What we have right now are just band-aid solutions that hardly address the problem, so it is high time we amend the existing law for a more comprehensive, sustainable approach to online piracy,” he said.
READ: Piracy, counterfeit reports surged 286% in H1 2023
The CitizenWatch made its call amid Senate Bills 20150 and 2385, which seeks to pass the Online Site Blocking Act to enable the IPOPHL to swiftly block sites carrying pirated content.
Citing a Senate consultative hearing, Abejo said the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines has even expressed its willingness to take more aggressive action against piracy.
Representatives from internet service providers also noted how site blocking bills could boost detection and reporting of illegal activities.
It also noted how online piracy caused a 47 percent decline in box office sales and a 72 percent drop in legitimate online transactions in the Philippines from 2012 to 2016, based on a 2018 report by the Motion Picture Association.