PH Out of US Watchlist of Countries That Disregard IP Rights for 8 Straight Years

Strong measures in the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) rights has kept the Philippines out of the United States (US) watchlist of countries risregarding IP rights protection for the eighth-straight year.

The exclusion of the country from the Special 301 Report of the US Trade Representative helps the country to continuously be an investment haven for foreign businesses, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Rowel Barba said in a statement Sunday.

“We welcome the country’s continued exclusion from the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Report, an achievement since 2014 that helps promote the Philippines as a vibrant investment place for US and other foreign businesses,” he said.

The Philippines has also been able to defend itself from erroneous findings that the government has been using unlicensed software.

IPOPHL in its defense provided a breakdown of the government’s licensed software spending, which was provided by the Department of Budget and Management. (GFB)