Photo credit: ITU.int

Globe Telecom and the international group Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) have come out in support of a Senate bill aiming to deter online piracy in the country by blocking Internet websites that illegally distribute copyrighted material like videos, music, and gaming.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III recently filed Senate Bill No. 2109 or the Philippine Online Infringement Act which will authorize the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), through the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), to cancel the licenses of Internet service providers (ISPs) which enable websites that facilitate copyright infringement.

The measure aims to prevent online piracy which has affected the livelihood of original content creators and the local entertainment industry, according to Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu who recently joined the board of directors of the regional group Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA).

?The economic and social impact of online piracy is profound. Revenue losses are in millions and thousands of jobs are affected due to a myriad of illegal streaming websites and illicit streaming devices or ISDs. More importantly, these illegal sites and devices put customers at risk not only because of its content but specifically, malware,? Cu said in a statement on Wednesday, January 9.

Meanwhile, Neil Gane, general manager at AVIA?s CAP, said the bill is an important step in local efforts to prevent online copyright infringement.

?There is no silver bullet to deterring online piracy. What is required is a holistic solution to include consumer outreach, cooperation with technology platforms and other intermediaries, enforcement, and critically, capability to disable access to egregious piracy websites through effective site blocking,? he said.

The AVIA?s Coalition Against Piracy aims to gather leading video content creators and distributors members together to join the global fight against content theft. It focuses on addressing the growing threat of illicit streaming devices and apps which facilitate widespread piracy of movies, sports, TV series and other creative video content. — Aerol John Pate?a (PNA)

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