The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said it will maintain strict enforcement of intellectual property rights at Greenhills Shopping Center following its inclusion once again in the 2025 Notorious Markets List of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

IPOPHL serves as vice chair of the inter-agency National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), which leads government efforts to curb the sale of counterfeit goods and protect legitimate businesses.

The USTR report identifies physical markets worldwide believed to be involved in the trade of counterfeit products and copyright piracy. Greenhills Shopping Center remains the only physical market in the Philippines listed in the report.

Despite this, the latest report also recognized efforts by the NCIPR and partner agencies to address the issue.

“The NCIPR continues to enforce intellectual property (IP) rights in GSC in coordination with brand owners and in cooperation with the GSC management through its ‘three-strike rule’, which may lead to suspension or blacklisting. Over the years, IPOPHL, as vice chair of the NCIPR, has also sustained engagement with traders through dialogues and joint capacity-building activities with the Department of Trade and Industry, chair of the NCIPR, toward shifting to legitimate businesses,” said IPOPHL acting director general Nathaniel Arevalo.

Arevalo said the committee is working closely with the mall’s management to establish a more visible and permanent presence within the shopping complex.

“The NCIPR Help Desk will be launched soon. The Help Desk will be manned by personnel from the member agencies of the NCIPR. This will serve not only as a frontline for enforcement actions; it will also serve as a point of guidance for tenants to explain the law and the risks of selling counterfeit goods, and also to help them with the information they need to steer them away from selling counterfeit goods toward a legitimate and more sustainable business model,” he said.

Arevalo emphasized that the objective of the government is not merely to remove Greenhills from international watch lists but to achieve long-term transformation of the market.

He said authorities envision Greenhills evolving into a legitimate retail hub recognized for quality and consumer trust.

However, he acknowledged that such transformation would take time and would require consistent enforcement and sustained cooperation among stakeholders.

“Enforcement of IP rights needs not just a whole-of-government effort, but also a whole-of-society approach. IPOPHL and the NCIPR remain committed to steady, practical progress, with clear actions and visible results expected in the months ahead,” Arevalo said.