In a forum on art, history and intellectual property rights at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines), Lawyer Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr., director general of the agency, said that copyright-based industries (CBI) contribute 4.82 percent to the country’s gross domestic product and employ more than 300,000 Filipinos.

"In the Philippine Intellectual Property Policy Strategy (PIPPS), the copyright and other creative industries is one of eight sectors representing the country’s IP assets and approaches to realize the strategy’s objectives," Cristobal said. "Copyright, a form of intellectual property, protects and promotes our creative industries. Apart from having a great potential to spur economic development, the copyright sector enriches our culture," he added.

Public health; patent reform; universities; and research and development institutions (RDI); biodiversity and genetic resources; indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP); folklore and geographical indications (GI); small and medium enterprises (SME); institutional capacity-building; and IP enforcement constitute the seven other sectors in the policy strategy.

Copyright pertains to a set of rights of creators or authors for their literary and artistic works. The domain of works includes writings; music; fine art such as photography, paintings, sculptures; and technology-based works like computer programs, websites and electronic databases.

Intellectual property rights violation is one of the issues in copyright. The PIPPS likewise identified the lack of recognition and reward systems in the sector, delays in the issuance of certificates of registration, and the lack of provisions for the protection of copyright owners as other concerns of the industry.

"IP Philippines is addressing these concerns through the five-point strategic action that the office will spearhead starting this year until 2009 to realize our objectives for the copyright and other creative industries," Cristobal said. "For one, we will create a comprehensive program and approach that involves the public and private sectors to develop the industry. We will also improve the protection of their intellectual property rights, and enhance the incentives for creativity for the copyright producers," he added.

The forum on art, history and intellectual property rights forms part of the closing ceremony of the TutoK Kasaysayang exhibit at IP Philippines’ Alab Art Space. Emmanuel Garibay of the TutoK Visual Artists’ Collective and historian Red Constantino gave lectures on Philippine art and history respectively. Lawyer Louie C. Calvario, copyright support services unit head of IP Philippines, tackled copyright issues.

TutoK Kasaysayang features more than 100 artworks of 93 individual visual artists and three art groups. It is the fifth group show at Alab since the space was launched on February 23, 2007 as an expression of IP Philippines’ support to the copyright sector.

Some of the luminaries who graced the exhibitions’ launch at the Alab Art Space include Prof. Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist for Literature; Prof. Napoleon V. Abueva and Dr. Abdulmari Asia Imao, National Artists for Visual Arts; Salvador F. Bernal, National Artist for Theater and Film and; Eddie S. Romero, National Artist for Cinema.