Walking the talk on site-blocking

This month, the Philippines’ whole-of-society commitment to combat piracy started to show results, marking not just a victory against copyright infringers but a precedent for future actions against online piracy.

As the news reports revealed yesterday, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has issued its landmark site-blocking request under its new voluntary rules against no less than 11 domains and subdomains linked to the YTS brand, one of the world's most notorious piracy websites.

A thorough examination by our Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) revealed that these websites were hosting pirated versions of movies and TV shows. Users were accessing these illegal copies by either downloading them directly through links on the website or by streaming them online.

These infringers employed a variety of methods to distribute and access copyrighted material illegally. They used peer-to-peer networks for file sharing, hosted content on illegal streaming websites, distributed files via direct downloads, and utilized tools like virtual private networks (VPNs) to conceal their activities.

These websites are also listed in the WIPO Alert, a data-sharing platform on piracy managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization. This listing underscores the global recognition of the threat these sites pose to IP rights.

YTS, the official home of YIFY, is one of the most prolific sites involved in the illegal replication and distribution of copyrighted content. According to a 2015 report by the Motion Picture Association of America, this site hosts a staggering library of some 4,500 infringing motion picture titles.

As of 18 May, almost all internet service providers (ISPs) that are signatories to the site-blocking memorandum of understanding we earlier signed have cut access to the offending sites.

The swift action taken by IPOPHL, in collaboration with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and ISPs, shows the successful and effective coordinated approach between government agencies and the private sector.

This new development underscores the importance of strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, which other countries should consider if they want to put up a stronger fight against piracy. By working together under uniform and streamlined guidelines, the public and private sectors can more effectively tackle the pervasive issue of digital piracy, protecting the rights and livelihoods of content creators.

In the next months, we hope more IP rights holders will come forward with their complaints so we can substantially disrupt access to pirated content in the Philippines, pushing users to turn to legal alternatives.

As we celebrate this victory, we also know there is a crowd of silent protesters who have relied on piracy sites and now are cut off from the only source of entertainment they have ever known. Tech-savvy users from this group may still find ways to circumvent site-blocking measures using VPNs and mirror sites. Continuous monitoring and adaptive strategies will be essential to sustain the impact of such orders.

With IPOPHL walking the talk, we make clear our commitment to uphold IP rights, support the creative economy, and foster a fair and legal digital marketplace.