More than 58 percent of car parts bought online are fake, says UK expert

Kick-off activity at the start of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Week: 6th Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City. (Photo by AJB)

Substandard car parts contribute to accidents and loss of lives in the United Kingdom as David Lowe revealed that 58% of materials bought online are fake. 

The counterfeit car parts cost the UK automotive industry GBP 28 billion (PHP 1.6 trillion). The cost does not include the loss of lives and damages as a result of use of defective car parts.

David Lowe is the head of the Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement Capacity and Delivery of the UK Intellectual Property Office. He is one of the resource persons invited by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to grace its IPR Week celebrations which started with the 6^th Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City on October 24, 2016.

Lowe added that the UK publishing industry also suffered as more than 100 million magazines were illegally downloaded in 2014. 

With the summit’s theme “Advocating IPR Protection and Enforcement in Governance,” IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago reported on the gains, challenges, and plans for IPR in the Philippines.

Director General Santiago highlighted the 4% growth in the filing of IP cases from 526 (2013) to 643 (2015). She also noted the 2% growth in resolved cases from 510 (2013) to 551 (2015).

The detailed IPR Action Plan 2017-2022 was presented by IPOPHL Deputy Director General Allan B. Gepty. He pointed on the need to intensify IP education in the country.

Gepty explained that aside from the IPOPHL-backed Young IP Advocates (YIPA), the agency will spearhead the expansion of IP advocates in schools and universities. These students will be included in the regular trainings and seminars on IP.

He mentioned that a policy must be made to require schools and universities to include IPR education and awareness in their curricula. The policy must be crafted by the Department of Education (DepEd) which oversees basic education and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for colleges and universities.

Director Carmen G. Peralta of IPOPHL’s Documentation, Information and Technology Transfer Bureau presented the highlights of the 4^th IP Youth Camp held in Davao City. 

To date, YIPA has inducted 85 secondary school students in its membership. The total network of schools nationwide is 27. 

Delegates from various public and private sector organizations. (l-r) two officials from the Bureau of Customs, Civil Service Commission director Ariel Villanueva and companion, Alvin J. Buenaventura, Ranielle S. Espiridion, and four officials from the Quezon City Hall. (Photo by IPOPHL staff).

In support of the IPOPHL’s IPR Week celebrations, the Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc. (FILCOLS) Executive Director AlvinJ. Buenaventura and Staff Ranielle S. Espiridion participated as delegates to the summit.

FILCOLS is the second collective management organization (CMO) accredited by the IPOPHL in 2014. The accreditation of CMOs was included in the amendments (RA 10372) to the IP Code which was enacted by then President Benigno S. Aquino in 2013.

 Text by Alvin J. Buenaventura. Photos by Alvin J. Buenaventura and IPOPHL staff Richmond A. De Leon. This may be re-posted as long as the authors are acknowledged.