Manila, Philippines – In a bid to combat counterfeit and pirated goods in the online space, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has recently entered into a strategic agreement with American clothing firm GUESS Group and Trimark Group Holdings.
Under the agreement, members pledge to establish a code of practice aimed at curbing the widespread sales of counterfeit and pirated goods online. This move also promotes collaboration among signatories, enforcing a swift notice-and-takedown process.
E-commerce platform members, including Lazada, Shopee, Zalora, and TikTok Shop, are also required to observe a prompt notice-and-takedown procedure and actively combat counterfeits on their platform.
Meanwhile, brands commit to notifying the platforms of infringing activities and emerging schemes to effectively fight counterfeiting at its source.
According to Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta, general counsel at Trimark Group, Trimark also remains committed to collaborate with core government agencies, e-commerce platforms, and the other signatory brands in addressing IP infringements in cyberspace.
Acosta further shared, “At the end of the day, the fight against intellectual property (IP) rights violations is not really between and among e-commerce platforms and the brands but against the infringers, who are our real enemies here. Indeed, collaboration is key.”
Talking about the initiative, Rowel Barba, director general at IPOPHL, said, “We are happy to see more brands, especially in apparel, choosing to join our whole-of-nation approach through the E-Commerce MOU. Nationwide and even regionwide, the MOU has emerged to be an avenue for implementing robust measures to fight fakes and safeguard the authenticity and reputation of a number of brands in the digital marketplace.”
This strategic collaboration was formalised through a memorandum of understanding signed by Ferris Victor Siasat, executive director at GUESS Group and Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta, general counsel at Trimark Group During the inaugural Trademark Conference (TMCon) Philippines last July.
The MOU now includes 40 signatories, comprising four online shopping platforms, 29 global and local brand owners, and seven business associations.
