THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has issued two site blocking requests to internet service providers against platforms that were found illegally streaming Filipino films.

IPOPHL issued a blocking request for 13 FREECINE-related sites following a complaint from Viva Communications, Inc. and streaming service Vivamax.

Viva reported that FREECINE had been illegally offering and distributing Viva’s copyrighted titles, including Bedspace, Dilig, and Room Service, through its mobile application.

“The FREECINE application contains unauthorized copies of cinematographic works, including those owned by them, and allows users to stream or download these for free,” the complaint read.

Meanwhile, Viva also filed a complaint against ASYAMINIK (asyaminik.com) for the illegal distribution of Viva One titles such as Chasing in the Wild, Safe Skies Archer, The Rain in España, and Avenues of the Diamond.

According to the complaint, the content was illegally made available for viewing to the public via online streaming within the pages of ASYAMINIK, while full copies of the content can also be downloaded for offline viewing.

“All of [these] acts are unauthorized by the complainant and are therefore illegal and are an infringement of the complainant’s copyright and other intellectual property (IP) rights,” it added.

The site-blocking actions were carried out by the Enforcement Division under the Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking.

“IPOPHL’s ongoing anti-piracy drive signals our continued commitment to the protection of the IP rights of the Philippine creative industries, which serve as a vital driver of our economy,” said IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR