BACLARAN and Divisoria markets in Metro Manila were singled out in a report issued by the European Union (EU) over alleged violations of intellectual property rights (IPR).
“Stakeholders continue to report Baclaran and Divisoria markets in Manila for offering a wide range of counterfeit goods on a wholesale and retail basis, in particular footwear and apparel, with some stalls allegedly also running online shops offering counterfeit goods,” according to the Report on the Protection & Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights issued by the European Commission (EC).
The report also noted that shops inside and in the vicinity of the Greenhills Shopping Mall and Cartimar “are reported to sell higher quality counterfeit goods.”
“Reportedly, regular raids are conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation and Intellectual Property Rights Division of the Bureau of Customs, and although they have had an impact in the past, they are allegedly no longer effective as there are too many infringers and the economic harm remains high,” the EC said.
The Philippines was nevertheless left out of the list of priority countries being watched for IPR enforcement.
“China remains a Priority 1 country for the EU due to the scale and persistence of problems in the area of IPR protection and enforcement, despite some progress in certain areas,” according to the report.
India and Türkiye remain Priority 2 due to “serious systemic problems have been identified in the area of IPR protection and enforcement in these countries, causing significant harm to EU businesses.”
The EC also identified Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Thailand as Priority 3 countries due to “serious concerns in the area of IP, causing considerable harm to EU businesses.” — Justine Irish D. Tabile