Philippine authorities on Friday (June 27) destroyed seized counterfeit goods in recent raids amid an intensified campaign against piracy and to raise public awareness.
Police investigators laid out thousands of confiscated counterfeit sunglasses, DVDs, beauty products, shoes and books inside the Philippine police compound in Manila and flattened them using a steam roller.
The Philippine Intellectual Property Rights Office (IPO) reported a total of 6.8 billion pesos (155 million USD) worth of confiscated goods during its intensified raids from January to May 2014.
IPO Deputy Director Allan Gepty said part of their campaign was to increase consumer knowledge on the hazards of counterfeit goods to curb down demand on piracy.
“The most important is the information campaign. We have to educate the public as to the dangers of counterfeit products and pirated items. They have to know and appreciate also, the values of Intellectual Property Rights. This is our long term strategy, because running after infringers is not the ultimate solution, the ultimate solution is to educate the public,” he said.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has recently removed the Philippines from its Special 301 Watch, a report released annually that reviews the state of Intellectual Property Rights protection and enforcement of America’s trading partners.
The Philippines had been on the special list since 1994.
Counterfeit products have a big market in the Philippines, with many stalls selling fake merchandise inside run-down malls, marketplaces and sidewalks offering cheaper prices than the authentic goods.
The Department of Health has repeatedly warned the public not to purchase the counterfeit products due to its possible health risks.
[REUTERS WIRES]
