The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has reported that the online video industry in the country suffered an estimated $700 million (₱38.2 billion) in lost revenue in 2022 due to piracy.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba warned that the revenue loss could exceed $1 billion by 2025 if online piracy remains unaddressed.
Barba also noted that despite nonstop efforts to combat it, online piracy continues to be a hurdle for Filipino creatives and content owners. He added that piracy might not be completely eradicated for as long as the Internet remains accessible to the public.
Among the Filipino content that are widely distributed through illegal channels are movies and television shows.
Given the global pervasiveness of online piracy, the IPOPHL has involved not only other government agencies in the Philippines, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, but also its foreign counterparts to tackle the problem.
Calls from consumer groups have been made for the government to clamp down on online piracy. In terms of legislation, the proposed “Internet Transactions Act” would allow the Department of Trade and Industry to take down websites and platforms found to have distributed illegal products, including pirated content.