IP Updates: House approves Copyright Bill TAGUIG The House of Representatives approvedon third reading House Bill No.

. 3841 which will amend the current IntellectualProperty Code to create a Bureau of Copyright within the Intellectual PropertyOffice of the Philippines (IPOPHL). According to Atty. Ricardo R.Blancaflor, IPOPHL Director General, the proposed Bureau of Copyright willserve the needs of copyright-based industries, namely books, music, film and media. The creation of the Copyright Bureauwill rally more resources for these sectors, added Blancaflor. The Bureauwill be in charge of registration of artistic and literary works and alsoadjudication of issues such as imitation and plagiarism. It will also regulateagents and entities who collect royalties on behalf of artists and promote goodgovernance. The bill will exempt non-profit reproductionof copyrighted works for the use of visually-impaired persons. Circumvention of technological measuresor jailbreaking will be treated as an aggravating circumstance to the offenseof copyright infringement under the bill Provisions on copyright infringementwill now include contributory infringement, circumvention of technologicalmeasures and rights management information as aggravating circumstances, andthe option to collect statutory damages instead of actual damages. Important provisions of the Internettreaties will also be incorporated, such as the provisions for the protectionof technological measures and rights management information aimed at protectingworks disseminated through the Internet. Congressmen Albert Garcia, Rufus Rodriguez, Joel Duavit, Juan EdgardoAngara and Irwin Tieng sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.Meanwhile, Senators Manny Villar, Edgarda Angara Antonio Trillanes, JinggoyEstrada, Lito Lapid, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Loren Legarda are the main authorsin the Senate.