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The Philippines remains absent from the United States (US) government’s infamous list of countries flagged for issues on safeguarding intellectual property (IP) rights for the 12th straight year.
In the 2025 Special 301 Report by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), released on April 29, the Philippines was once again not included in the priority watch list or the general watch list.
The USTR, which oversees America’s international trade and investment policy, conducts the annual report to identify countries that are found to deny adequate and effective protection of IP rights.
This year, it listed Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Venezuela, and Mexico under the watch list’s priority, with 18 other countries included in the general watch list.
“Placement of a trading partner on the priority watch list or watch list indicates that particular problems exist in that country with respect to IP protection, enforcement, or market access for US persons relying on IP,” the report read.
The Philippines was first included in the watch list in 1989 and remained there continuously from 1994 until its removal in 2014.
Since then, the country has maintained its absence from the list, as the government intensified its measures to crack down on piracy.
This year, the USTR cited the Philippines as one of its key trade partners that exhibit “illustrative best practices” in the area of IP protection and enforcement.
The report identified last year’s launch of a new E-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for boosting the agency’s regulatory oversight of e-commerce transactions.
This new regulatory unit, according to the US agency, strengthened the country’s crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods online.
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the country's anti-piracy body, was credited for conducting awareness and educational campaigns to develop support for IP initiatives.
In particular, it was mentioned that IPOPHL promoted the anti-piracy comic book “Pirated Inferno” at the Philippines International Comics Festival and Manila International Book Fair, alongside its collaboration with a local media company on a “Stream Responsibly: Fight Piracy” campaign.
Another “best practice” attributed to IPOPHL was its leadership in organizing the national judicial colloquium on IP adjudication.
In regard to bilateral relations, the Philippines displayed strong cooperation with the concerns of the US government.
In June 2024, the US and the Philippines held a technical meeting to discuss IP issues raised under the trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) of both nations. This was succeeded by a TIFA meeting the following month.
Early this year, Manila Bulletin reported that IPOPHL Director General Brigitte da Costa-Villaluz wrote to the USTR in order to debunk certain issues and concerns raised by a number of stakeholders regarding the state of IP protection in the country.
The 2025 Special 301 Report, however, maintained its concern over the proliferation of counterfeit products in the country’s markets.
The USTR issued a warning on the “manufacture and distribution of pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients bearing counterfeit trademarks,” noting that it brings severe consequences for consumer health and safety.
Citing a recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Philippines was flagged for being one of the “leading sources of counterfeit medicines distributed globally.”
The agency also flagged the Philippines for having “slow opposition or cancellation proceedings,” signaling the potential inefficiency in the handling of cases with regards to IP rights.
IPOPHL, in its February letter to the USTR, noted that the Philippines’ IP legal framework and prosecutorial processes meet international standards. Criminal cases, however, are often hampered by a lack of complainant follow-throughs.
In a statement, USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer said the concerns cited in the Special 301 report must be addressed by US trading partners.
Greer said this is to stop those “stealing the IP of hard-working businesses and individuals.”
“President [Donald] Trump has a track record of empowering our innovators and workers, and this comprehensive report is a basis for the US to take trade enforcement action against those not playing fairly,” he added.
