AVIA, the Asia Video Industry Association, reported the successful passage of HB7600, a site blocking proposal, through the Philippines’ House of Representatives to amend the country’s Intellectual Property Code to allow for pirate sites to be blocked. While House passage is a major step, the bill must also pass through the country’s Senate, where it already has been introduced (Senate Bill 2150).
AVIA and its Coalation Against Piracy (CAP) have been working with the Philippines Government and the Philippines content industry for some time to champion the passage of site blocking legislation to help reduce revenue lesses to rights holders and tax authorities, and harm to consumers.
To that end, a number of meetings and workshops, including an anti-piracy seminar hosted by AVIA, CAP and the Globe Group in Manila in September 2022 where the site blocking bill’s sponsor, Congressman Joey Salceda, was the keynote speaker.
AVIA site blocking advocacy in the Philippines goes back to 2021 and earlier. Last September, AVIA partnered with several major media companies in the Philippines to form the Video Coalition of the Philippines to deter piracy.
“Site blocking, when implemented in an efficient and effective way, and ensuring the necessary elements of due process, is an incredibly powerful tool to both stop online piracy and protect consumers from the unseen harm caused by piracy,” said Matt Cheetham, General Manager of AVIA’s CAP. “We applaud Congressman Salceda for his determination to address the issue.”
Further reading
AVIA and CAP Strongly Support the Passage of Legislation to Amend the IP Code of the Philippines to Allow for Pirate Sites to be Blocked in the PHilippines. Press release. May 23, 2023. The Asia Video Industry Association(AVIA) and the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).
Other Piracy Monitor articles regarding piracy and anti-piracy in the Philippines.
Why it matters
2023 figures from a study commissioned by AVIA and CAP and conducted by YouGov showed that almost 60% of Philippine consumers watch pirated content – an alarming number that has a direct impact on the Philippine creative industry and consumer safety.
However, the study also showed growing consumer awareness of the damage caused by piracy, with 90% of consumers believing that piracy has negative consequences for the Philippines.The study also showed a path ahead with 45% of Philippine consumers believing a government or court order for ISPs to block pirate websites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.
Congressman Salceda’s Bill has been strongly supported by local industry with numerous representatives, including GMA Network, Inc., the Globe Group and KROMA Entertainment attending the Second Reading of the HB7600 in person.
