Daily TribuneThe GSC has suspended stores violating its rules, including IP (intellectual property) rules. ‘What we have done is really educate our traders, to tell them that it’s time to change and that there are products (other than fake) to profit from’
IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba (center), among other officials and representatives of the National Committee on IP Rights, inspected the Greenhills Shopping Center last 9 May to check if the selling of pirated brands is still rampant in the said shopping mall.
Photograph courtesy of IPOPHL
With the government getting more aggressive in collaring vendors of fake products, it is said that the number of establishments selling counterfeit items in Greenhills Shopping Center (GSC) in San Juan City is now diminishing.
This was bared by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, following a recent meeting with GSC assistant vice president and Trade Fairs and Exhibits head James Candelaria who presented ongoing developments in its campaign to encourage its flea market traders to shift away from counterfeit products.
Candelaria reported to IPOPHL director general Atty. Rowel Barba that they are pushing the GSC 10-year roadmap, which aims to gradually move 100 percent of its merchants away from selling intellectual property (IP) infringing products by 2027.
He said that starting 2020, GSC management had decided to reduce the number of stalls to 1,412 from 1,771.
Transition program
Further, he said that as of October 2023, 80 percent of the traders have gone through the transition program and are now selling local products, Halal items, jewelry, antiques, furniture pieces, and artworks.
He also showed that over the years since the implementation of the roadmap, the mall was able to weed out nearly 299 stores by suspension.
Moreover, he said that the GSC has suspended stores violating its rules, including IP rules, and majority of the suspended sellers, according to Candelaria, do not return to GSC.
“What we have done so far is to really educate our traders, to tell them that it’s time to change and that there are other products to profit from,” Candelaria said.
Some of GSC’s notable and recent education initiatives include a learning event with the Department of Trade and Industry attended by over 400 merchants and “Bagsakan” events with the GSC showcasing local products traders could explore selling.
Bags, watches
Also, since 2022, the mall has refused to accept applicants wanting to sell bags, watches and similar products, except where local manufacturers or labeled products are involved.
The category usually makes up a big share of the counterfeit products seized by the National Committee on IP Rights (NCIPR).
Also provided by the GSC are incentives to stores selling local delicacies and other items, placing them at premium locations at various entrances of the building where the flea market is located.
The meeting last 9 May was also attended by the legal representatives of luxury brands, who discussed solutions with GSC, including the monitoring of stallsth by their teams.
Also in attendance were NCIPR members, such as the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Customs.
New mall building
The dialogue was followed by a brief tour of the new mall building full of well-known apparel brands and food stores, and the flea market.
Barba, during the tour, reminded stall owners of the importance of selling original products, noting that IPOPHL will soon conduct an IP briefing with them to help them transition to legitimate goods.
“We laud the commitment of the GSC to work together with its merchants to create a fairer and more IP-conscious business environment. We look forward to seeing more positive outcomes from this transition program,” Barba said.
