Philippines delisted from EU’s counterfeit watchlist

THE European Union (EU) removed the Philippines from its “priority” counterfeit watchlist, even if it noted that intellectual property (IP) protection in the country has not improved.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) said in a statement that this is the first time the Philippines has been delisted from a priority category. The country had been downgraded to “Priority 3” — or the countries of least concern — in 2015.

In its report released on Jan. 8, the European Commission said it will closely monitor the situation in the Philippines and countries like Israel, Morocco, South Africa, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates where IP enforcement is a concern.

“The Philippines was removed from the priority list and included in the group of countries, which need to be closely monitored. This is due to the very few complaints received from stakeholders and the increase in the relative importance of other countries for EU right holders,” the Commission said.

Read more: BusinessWorld