Copyright: Home

Copyright (©) is a legal means of protecting an author's work. It is a type of intellectual property that provides exclusive publication, distribution, and usage rights for the author. This means whatever content the author created cannot be used or published by anyone else without the consent of the author

There are three basic requirements for copyright protection: that which is to be protected must be a work of authorship; it must be original, and it must be fixed in a tangible medium of expression (Copyright.gov, 2020)

What constitutes copyright infringement in the Philippines?

Under Philippine law, copyright infringement occurs when there is a violation of any of the exclusive economic or moral rights granted to the copyright owner. It may also consist in aiding or abetting such infringement. The IP Code also provides for the liability of a person who at the time when copyright subsists in a work has in his possession an article which he knows, or ought to know, to be an infringing copy of the work for the following purposes:

(a) selling or letting for hire, or by way of trade offering or exposing  for sale or hire, the article;
(b) distributing the article for the purpose of trade, or for any other purpose to an extent that will prejudice the rights of the copyright owner in the work; or
(c) trade exhibit of the article in public.

What are the penalties provided by Philippine law for copyright infringement?

Under Philippine law, copyright infringement is punishable by the following:

• Imprisonment of between 1 to 3 years and a fine of between 50,000 to 150,000 pesos for the first offense.
• Imprisonment of 3 years and 1 day to six years plus a fine of between 150,000 to 500,000 pesos for the second offense.
• Imprisonment of 6 years and 1 day to 9 years plus a fine ranging from 500,000 to 1,500,000 pesos for the third and subsequent offenses.
• The offending party may also be ordered to pay civil damages.

Injunction and destruction of the infringing goods or products can also be obtained, as well as seizure and impounding of any article which may serve as evidence in the court proceedings.

Go to this link for more information about copyright law

The following are the library resources about copyright both in print and electronic.