The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has ramped up its anti-piracy and counterfeiting measures at Greenhills Shopping Center (GSC) in San Juan City in an effort to remove the popular mall from the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) upcoming report on notorious markets worldwide.

In an Oct. 15 letter to the USTR, IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo said the government has made “significant progress” in addressing the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods at the shopping complex, enough to warrant its exclusion from the USTR’s Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy Review.

The USTR, which oversees America’s international trade and investment policy, releases an annual list of notorious physical and online markets that may cause harm to intellectual property (IP) owners, workers, and consumers.

In its 2024 list released earlier this year, the USTR identified GSC as the sole physical market in the Philippines still engaged in and benefiting from high levels of piracy and counterfeiting.

It noted that the mall is popular on social media as a destination for purchasing bogus goods, with rights holders reporting high volumes of counterfeit products stored in secret rooms.

Inclusion in the list aims to motivate appropriate action by the government and the private sector to implement measures that uphold IP protection.

With the forthcoming 2025 report, IPOPHL noted that law enforcement agencies continue to enforce IP rights in GSC through raids that have led to the seizure of fake goods.

GSC management recently adopted a comprehensive roadmap to become a “hub for legitimate enterprises,” which has since been submitted to IPOPHL.

The roadmap includes stricter tenant screening processes, the implementation of IP awareness campaigns for stallholders, and closer coordination with enforcement authorities.

To complement this, the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) is set to establish a help desk to maintain a sustained presence in the area, encourage compliance, deter IP violations, and facilitate coordination among enforcement agencies.

“The cleansing might take a bit more time, but with the cooperation of the GSC administration, this goal is slowly coming into fruition,” IPOPHL said.

IPOPHL said the government has also made strides in IP enforcement in other markets in the country flagged for piracy, such as 199 Shopping Mall and 168 Shopping Mall, both in Manila.

The NCIPR recorded an all-time high value of seized counterfeit goods last year at ₱40.98 billion, driven by intensified operations at borders, warehouses, and malls.

The 199 and 168 malls, alongside GSC, were cited by the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) as physical markets that still engage in or facilitate substantial counterfeiting.

In creating its notorious markets list, the USTR gathers submissions from rights holders and industry groups such as TRACIT to identify physical and online markets for possible inclusion in the watch list.

For online markets, IPOPHL named Shopee, Lazada, Alibaba/AliExpress, and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram among those identified for the continued presence of knockoffs.

IPOPHL has made progress through its memorandum of understanding (MOU) on e-commerce, which engages platforms to pursue accountability in the online space when it comes to piracy.

As of Oct. 13, IPOPHL has secured 108 signatories for the MOU, with more brands expected to participate before the year ends.

“These partnerships have led to the institutionalization of more responsive IP protection frameworks and improved coordination between brand owners, platforms, and enforcement agencies,” it said.

Based on the latest review of the MOU, IPOPHL observed a decline in infringing listings across online markets.

“The country remains confident that its latest achievements and sustained reforms will be reflected positively in the forthcoming USTR report,” said Arevalo in a statement.

“IPOPHL, together with members of the NCIPR, reaffirms its dedication to continuous improvement in enforcement, policy coordination, and public awareness, in alignment with international best practices,” he added.

The Philippines has been out of the USTR’s Special 301 Watch List for 12 straight years, but local physical and online markets continue to be monitored due to recurring IP issues.

The Special 301 Report identifies countries found to deny adequate and effective protection of IP rights.