Government Seizes Record-Breaking US$120 Million of Fakes
04 October 2013
The government of the Philippines has seized almost US$120 million worth of counterfeit and pirated goods between January and July 2013. The amount is almost double the amount seized in 2012, according to the director general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), Ricardo Blancaflor.
Blancaflor said that efforts of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) led to the successful raids. The Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation, the Optical Media Board, and the Philippine National Police were involved in the seizures. Other NCIPR members involved in enforcement operations include the Food and Drug Administration and the National Telecommunications Commission.
Blancaflor said that the biggest haul during the summer was from the Bureau of Customs, particularly from the Port of Manila under district collector Rogel Gatchalian, who seized US$39 million worth of counterfeits in July, the highest seizure on record in the history of NCIPR.
Such high-level seizures are an indication that brand owners have become more cooperative in enforcement operations, says Blancaflor. Nevertheless, the government still needs to increase public IP awareness in the Philippines to eradicate counterfeiting and piracy.
Seized items so far this year include designer watches, bags, shirts, jeans, shoes, Android mobile phones, drugs, and other electronics.
