Public Information and Education Campaign

Private Sector Effort

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  COMPACT, an association founded in 1987 to safeguard intellectual property rights.
  
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  Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (FILSCAP) which represents a number of individuals and companies in the music and publishing industries;
  
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  Philippine Association of the Recording Industry Inc. (PARI) which represents most of the music recording companies in the country;
  
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  AVIDPHIL, the organization of legitimate videogram distributors in the country;
  
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  Business Software Alliance, representing the major foreign business software companies;
  
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  Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino Foundation which is comprised by music performers;
  
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  Philippine Entertainment Industry Foundation, Inc. which works to promote the welfare of the entertainment industry;
  
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  Brand Protection Association, an organization of companies working for the protection of their trademarks and other intellectual properties;
  
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  MPDAP, the Motion Picture Distribution Association of the Philippines;
  
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  KATHA, an association of Filipino composers; and
  
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  The Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and Industry which is an association of businessmen, SMEs and entrepreneurs in Quezon City;
  
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  American Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and
  
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  Microsoft, Inc.
  

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  To provide a forum of discussion of intellectual property and related issues between and among industry circles and the public in general;
  
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  To formulate and adopt a strategic action plan that will identify the problems and issues affecting and afflicting intellectual property rights, and propose solutions and remedial measures therefor;
  
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  To participate in all processes and discussions, whether executive or legislative, that are called or designed to generate or formulate government policy on all matters affecting intellectual property;
  
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  To inform the general public of the pernicious effects of infringement of intellectual property rights by organizing mass media campaigns;
  
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  To liaise with government agencies on any or all matters that concern intellectual property rights;
  
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  To serve as a private sector watchdog to monitor the implementation of laws, rules and regulations for the protection of IPR by relevant government agencies; to condemn, criticize and expose ineptitude and corruption; to commend, reward and recognize exemplary performance and dedication to duty; and,
  
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  To lend support and assistance to private and government initiatives that will enhance the protection and promotion of IPR.
  

The coalition has conducted OMB advocacy activities in 2003, such as:

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  visiting the Philippine senators to discuss the provisions of the bill, and accordingly ask for their support for the passage of the proposed law. This was held last May of 2003;
  
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  participating in the public hearings and consultative meetings conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media regarding the OMB; and
  
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  releasing an advertorial or public statement for the immediate passage of the bill, entitled, “A Plea For Action” that was published in one of the major Philippine dailies last June 3, 2003.
  

As part of the Strategic Action Plan, the IPC also spearheaded the communications plan called “Project Jump”. This project⁶³, which was formulated with the assistance of the Ad Foundation of the Philippines, aims to disseminate information regarding proper IP values and generate public support for Intellectual Property Rights. The main objective of the plan is to make piracy socially unacceptable. The multi-pronged strategy will be supported by a multi-media campaign aimed at the AB and C income households with emphasis on youths ages 13 to 30. The media mix plans to involve all Free TV stations plus HBO, MTV and other cable movie and music channels. The radio, meanwhile, will cover the urban FM stations. Advertisements and cinema placements at major malls are also being considered. The plan is being targeted to take-off in 2004.

The private sector's activities also involve advocacy, information dissemination and educating the public of the negative social and economic effects of this IPR infringement. Example of such endeavor was the "Rock Against Piracy" concert conducted early last 2002. This was participated by various local artists, small and famous, who voiced out their opposition against piracy.

Meanwhile, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) Philippines⁶⁴, a non-profit international organization that promotes the use of legal software, launched an anti-piracy campaign entitled “Assistance in Software Auditing Program (ASAP)” in 2001. According to the BSA, ASAP aimed to help companies “conduct software audit in order to adopt proper software management and be able to legalize if there is a need to do so.” Once qualified, the company will be given by the BSA a Certificate of Clean Bill of Software Health that guarantees a one-year grace period from legal actions initiated by members of the BSA. In 2002, the BSA conducted the ASAP 2 Campaign.

The BSA has also established an Anti-Piracy Hotline in Metro Manila, wherein the public can report software piracy occurrences and inquire on issues regarding software compliance and licensing. BSA reported that the anti-piracy hotline “receives a large number of calls from individuals providing leads on organizations that are either using or distributing pirated software”. As an incentive, the BSA provides a “reward of up to P1 million to anyone who calls the anti-piracy hotline and able to provide information leading to a successful enforcement action against a corporate end-user.” As a support activity to the hotline, the organization also launched an as campaign called “Speak up. Don’t cover up”, wherein the anti-piracy hotline numbers of the BSA are advertised.

In addition, the Philippine Network Gaming Alliance (PNGA) also published an anti-piracy advertisement in the newspapers in March 2003. This informed the public of the consequences of using pirated entertainment software products. The ad aimed to instill in the consumers’ minds that “piracy of PC games is a serious crime,” and the “consequence to offenders are very serious.” Information on the length of imprisonment and the amount of fines that infringers would serve and pay are included in the advertisement.

However, though efforts are being exerted (by both the government and private sectors) in combating IPR infringements, more legislation and financial support for better enforcement of the IP laws are needed to have an efficient and effective IP protection. Though the state of piracy in the country seems to respond to the on-going endeavors, greater results could have been acquired if not for these limitations the government and the private sector face.