The National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights’ (NCIPR) relentless crackdown on counterfeiting and piracy did not only protect consumers and intellectual property rights holders but also strengthened the Philippines’ prospects of being removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list.
“We are very confident that when the FATF gray list is taken up this October, the Philippines may already exit the gray list because of our performance in various areas including intellectual property [IP] protection,” said Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes Andres at the 2024 NCIPR High-Level Meeting on Sept. 24.
With the potential to materialize by 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) underscored the crucial link between effective intellectual property enforcement and the broader fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
“Trade in illegal goods is a transnational crime often run by complex criminal networks. Failing to deter illicit goods such as IP infringing goods from the market further emboldens these criminal groups to expand their operations and harm more people and brands,” said IPOPHL deputy-director general Nathaniel Arevalo.
He highlighted the NCIPR’s record-breaking seizure of P35.24 billion worth of counterfeit goods in the first nine months of 2024, surpassing the previous year’s total of P26.89 billion.
Arevalo emphasized the critical role of combating counterfeiting and piracy in the broader fight against organized crime.
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation estimates that organized crime accounts for as much as 2.5 percent or nearly $500 billion of world trade, underscoring the urgent need for effective measures to combat illicit trade.
The NCIPR’s success in combating counterfeiting and piracy is a collaborative effort involving 15 member agencies, including the DOJ and the IPOPHL.
The DOJ spearheads the financial intelligence, law enforcement and prosecution sub-committee (FILEPSC), while IPOPHL serves as a member.
The FILEPSC oversees the implementation of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism Strategy (NACS), which was approved in 2018.
