Creation of copyright bureau eyed in March

MANILA, Philippines - The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) wants to set-up a new agency, the Bureau of Copyright, by March next year to enforce the amended IP Code.

“What we want is by March of next year (2014), the Bureau of Copyright is already in place,” IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor said in a telephone interview.

He said the IPOPHL has already requested a meeting with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to discuss how to proceed with the creation of the new agency.

Setting-up the Bureau of Copyright, he said, would require funding from the government.

“We really need to get approval from DBM,” he added.

Under Republic Act 10372, which amended the IP Code and was signed by President Aquino in February, the IPOPHL could set-up the Bureau of Copyright which would play a role in promoting awareness on IP rights.

The new agency would be responsible for the accreditation of collective management organizations or those which would collect royalties for copyrighted works being used in public places for commercial purposes.

Blancaflor said earlier that while the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers already collects fees for the usage of works of composers, authors and publishers, many business establishments want to ensure that they pay royalties to organizations which are accredited by the government.

He also said that by collecting royalties, performers or recording artists would be paid for the use of their copyrighted works in commercial establishments.

As part of preparations for the setting up of the system of collection of royalties, a team from the World Intellectual Property

Organization WIPO) is set to visit in January.

The team is expected to help the country set up mechanisms for the collections, including keeping a database of establishments using copyrighted works and how much they have to pay.

Blancaflor said the government expects the creation of the Bureau of Copyright to contribute not just in increasing the awareness of the public on the need to protect copyrighted works, but also in encouraging innovation as well.