Philippines Shines: Excluded from EU’s IP Watch List, Maintains Attractive Investment Destination Status

The Philippines has successfully maintained its exclusion from the European Commission’s intellectual property (IP) rights watch list, marking five years since the last mention of the country in 2019. The report, released on May 17, highlighted legal uncertainties, weak IP enforcement, and low trade secrets protection as the deciding factors for the inclusion of priority countries.

The exclusion from the list demonstrates that the Philippines remains an attractive investment destination for trade partners. “Truly, we have come a long way in maintaining a safe IP climate in tune with global economic standards,” stated Rowel S. Barba, Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

The biennial report by the European Commission identifies priority countries that pose significant concerns for IP-intensive industries in the European Union. China, due to persistent IP rights violations through piracy and counterfeiting, topped the list as the sole country under “priority one.” India and Turkey were flagged under “priority two” for constraints on patent protection and gaps in national IP enforcement, respectively.

The “priority three” countries included Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, all with varying IP protection concerns.

While the Philippines has been delisted from the report, Barba emphasized the importance of going beyond exclusion from global watch lists. He acknowledged the need for continuous efforts to ensure a clean and reliable marketplace for IP rights owners worldwide. The IPOPHL has doubled down on its commitment to safeguard investment attractiveness and combat counterfeiting and piracy.

In a significant achievement last May, IPOPHL facilitated the addition of eight well-known brands to the E-commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), recognized internationally as a best practice to foster trust in online marketplaces.

Recently, in a capacity-building effort with the EU Commission-funded ARISE + Philippines, over 40 representatives of the National Committee for IP Rights (NCIPR), supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), addressed general IP enforcement and enforcement within the digital environment.

IPOPHL continues to launch anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy policy (ACAPP) campaigns across local government units (LGUs) and academic institutions to deepen awareness of IP rights, particularly among public authorities responsible for IP enforcement.

Barba emphasized that the whole-of-nation approach to IP enforcement empowers not only the economic landscape but also builds prosperous and lasting relationships with critical trade partners such as the European Union.

IPOPHL has maintained a fruitful partnership with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), leading to significant developments in the capacitation of businesses on IP services, awareness, and enforcement.

To enhance trade competitiveness, the EUIPO and the Commission have provided assistance to IPOPHL through the IP Key SEA, which has facilitated the country’s geographical indications (GI) mapping. This effort involved a forum attended by potential GI producers nationwide.

According to the EU Commission, trade in goods between the Philippines and the EU amounted to €18.4 billion in 2022, while bilateral trade in services reached €4.7 billion. The EU accounted for 7.9% of the Philippines’ total trade in 2021, making it the country’s fourth-largest trading partner. Similarly, the Philippines ranks as the EU’s 39th largest foreign investor, contributing to 0.4% of the EU’s overall trade.

The Philippines’ successful exclusion from the EU’s IP watch list signifies its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights and maintaining a favorable environment for trade and investment. The continuous efforts of IPOPHL and its partnerships with international organizations like the EUIPO demonstrate the country’s determination to combat IP violations and foster a thriving economic landscape.