Phl stays outside USTR watchlist

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has commended the country’s increased enforcement against counterfeit goods and its strategic collaborative work that led to the vastly improved state of copyrights protection.

It particularly cited Greenhills Shopping Center that shed its reputation of a global counterfeit hub.

In its 2024 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy released this week, the USTR highlighted the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), where the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) serves as vice chair, for its record-breaking seizure of counterfeit goods.

The NCIPR earlier reported that from January to September 2024, $617.8 million worth of counterfeit goods were seized from ports of entry, physical markets, and warehouses, surpassing the $471.4 million value in 2023.

Positive factor

The record was enlisted as a positive country development in the fight against counterfeiting for its indication of enhanced enforcement and coordination with stakeholders.

“This development reflects IPOPHL’s dedication to curb counterfeiting and our increased collaboration with rights holders to ensure action,” IPOPHL officer-in-charge Nathaniel S. Arevalo said.

The latest report, also called the Notorious Markets List, identifies 38 online markets and 33 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy in 2024.

The report pointed out, however, that Greenhills remains popular as a destination for counterfeit goods.

But it also recognized the work among law enforcement authorities and right holders to conduct raids at the mall, the policy shift of the Greenhills Shopping Center to take action against counterfeit sellers, the collaborative strategy espoused by the NCIPR and the whole-of-society collaboration to shift Greenhills’ towards a high-end mall with legitimate sellers.

“Rights holders have welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with government authorities and the Greenhills Shopping Center management to remove counterfeit sellers,” the report read.

Online platforms checked

Online markets also came under scrutiny, with Shopee, among others, identified for its persistent counterfeit issues across Southeast Asia and Latin America. However, the USTR acknowledged the platform’s new actions to curb counterfeits.

Arevalo said Shopee, as a signatory of the E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding which IPOPHL facilitates, has been “cooperative” in addressing infringement concerns of brands that are signatories to the MoU.

While commending these positive steps, Arevalo assured that “enhancing enforcement against counterfeiting and piracy trends will remain in full swing” at the NCIPR.