House approves Copyright Bill

TAGUIG – The House of Representatives approved on

third reading House Bill No. 3841 which will amend the
current Intellectual Property Code to create a Bureau of
Copyright within the Intellectual Property Office of the
Philippines (IPOPHL).
According to Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor, IPOPHL Director
General, the proposed Bureau of Copyright will serve the
needs of copyright-based industries, namely books, music,
film and media.
“The creation of the Copyright Bureau will rally more
resources for these sectors,” added Blancaflor. “The
Bureau will be in charge of registration of artistic and
literary works and also adjudication of issues such as
imitation and plagiarism. It will also regulate agents and
entities who collect royalties on behalf of artists and
promote good governance.”
The bill will exempt non-profit reproduction of copyrighted
works for the use of visually-impaired persons.
Circumvention of technological measures or jailbreaking
will be treated as an aggravating circumstance to the
offense of copyright infringement under the bill
Provisions on copyright infringement will now include
contributory infringement, circumvention of technological
measures and rights management information as
aggravating circumstances, and the option to collect
statutory damages instead of actual damages.
Important provisions of the Internet treaties will also be
incorporated, such as the provisions for the protection of
technological measures and rights management
information aimed at protecting works disseminated
through the Internet.
Congressmen Albert Garcia, Rufus Rodriguez, Joel
Duavit, Juan Edgardo Angara and Irwin Tieng sponsored
the bill in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile,
Senators Manny Villar, Edgarda Angara Antonio Trillanes,
Jinggoy Estrada, Lito Lapid, Miriam Defensor-Santiago
and Loren Legarda are the main authors in the Senate.#