Philippines out of US IP rights watchlist anew

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines was kept off the United States’ list of countries with intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement issues for the 13th consecutive year.

Released by the US Trade Representative (USTR), the Special 301 Report is an annual review of the state of IP protection and enforcement in over 100 trading partners.

While the Philippines was not placed on the USTR’s priority watch list or watch list of countries with IPR issues, concerns remain on counterfeit medicines in the country.

The USTR cited a 2020 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and European Union Intellectual Property Office, which identified the Philippines, along with China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam as leading sources of counterfeit medicines distributed globally.

It also said the Philippines, along with India, Malaysia and Pakistan, reportedly have slow opposition or cancellation proceedings of IP cases.

While there are concerns, the USTR cited the Philippines for its best IP practices.

In particular, the USTR cited the launch of a new E-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry in 2024 to support regulatory oversight of e-commerce transactions and protection against the sale of counterfeit goods online.

USTR also cited the memorandum of understanding being finalized by the E-Commerce Bureau with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) this year.

The Philippines’ IP awareness campaign, particularly the IPOPHL’s promotion of the “Pirated Inferno” comic through its seminars and visits to local governments, higher education institutions and non-government organizations, was identified as another best IP practice.

Also mentioned in the report was the IPOPHL’s conduct of a National Judicial Colloquium on IP Adjudication, which included participation from judges from the Special Commercial Courts.