Globe Telecom has collaborated with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and four Internet service providers (ISPs) to combat piracy and protect intellectual property.
According to Neil Gane of the Motion Pictures Association, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the first in Asia and the second in the world, citing a similar initiative in Germany where ISPs and rights holders discovered site-blocking process centers. This German model operates independently of the government.
The primary goal of this MoU in the Philippines is to establish a voluntary site-blocking practice against the sale and distribution of pirated content over the internet, as well as to encourage other stakeholders to join the initiative. It also outlines general principles and procedures for site blocking, with an emphasis on partnership between ISPs and the IPOPHL.
According to the Globe, site blocking is being proposed to Congress as an amendment to the Philippines’ IP code, and the government is currently considering measures to fight piracy websites.
“What we are doing today is such an important step in the absence of a site-blocking law. We are no longer tied up. We can do something about piracy,” said Yoly Crisanto, the Globe Group chief sustainability and communications officer. "Just as we have taken our advocacy to such great lengths, we’re fully committed to stopping piracy. And hopefully, in the digital economy, the Philippines can start looking forward to a creative industry that is robust and free from all these challenges.”
