MANILA - Around $700 million (P38.2 billion) was lost to video piracy in 2022, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

Pirated content included Filipino-made movies, TV shows and other video materials, IPOPHL said.

IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said the total could balloon to $1 billion by 2025. The fight against piracy remains a challenge, Barba added.

“In-involve na rin natin ang BIR para matignan din nila, to see how they can collect taxes on counterfeiting and piracy, kung ma-identify," Barba said.

“Hanggat siguro nandyan yung internet, hindi mawawala. Nandyan talaga yung pag pirata. Ang affected talaga dito would be yung creatives," he said.

IPOPHL said it is working with foreign counterparts to crack down on video piracy since it is considered as a "trans-border" crime.

Until the pending "Internet Transactions Bill" is passed into law, the public is encouraged to avoid illegal streaming and counterfeits, and to instead support legal businesses, Barba said.

In 2022 total intellectual property applications hit a new record high of 48,259, up 3.7 percent year-on-year.

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