The House of Representatives on Monday gave its final nod to a bill that seeks to amend the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines as a course to combat online piracy and counterfeiting.

House Bill 7600 was passed on third and final reading with 267 affirmative votes against one abstention.

Should muster enough political support, the proposed law would grant authorities more robust powers to crack down on pirated content, notably in film, which is “the most piracy-prone component” of the industry.

It defines counterfeit and pirated goods and authorizes the IPOPHL to gather intelligence information, investigate violations of the IP Code and develop countermeasures to deter counterfeit or pirated goods or content.

If passed, the legislation will create a method for internet service providers to restrict websites that include pirated content.

The proposal allows content generators and the concerned public to file petitions to block websites featuring pirated online content.