The Philippines stayed off the United States' list of countries with intellectual property rights enforcement issues for the 13th consecutive year. The US Trade Representative released the Special 301 Report reviewing IP protection and enforcement in over 100 trading partners. While not listed, concerns persist over counterfeit medicines in the country.
The US Trade Representative (USTR) released the Special 301 Report, an annual review of intellectual property protection and enforcement in over 100 trading partners. The Philippines was not placed on its priority watch list or watch list.
The USTR cited a 2020 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and European Union Intellectual Property Office identifying the Philippines, alongside China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam, as leading sources of counterfeit medicines distributed globally. It also noted the Philippines, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan for reportedly slow opposition or cancellation proceedings in IP cases.
Despite these concerns, the USTR highlighted the Philippines' best IP practices. These include the 2024 launch of a new E-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry to support regulatory oversight of e-commerce transactions and protection against online counterfeit goods. The USTR also mentioned a memorandum of understanding being finalized this year by the E-Commerce Bureau with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
Other praised efforts involve IPOPHL's IP awareness campaign, particularly promoting the 'Pirated Inferno' comic through seminars, visits to local governments, higher education institutions, and non-government organizations. The report also noted IPOPHL's National Judicial Colloquium on IP Adjudication, which included judges from the Special Commercial Courts.
