Singapore: Robust copyright provides the foundation for creative communities to innovate and flourish was the common theme for filmmakers and film lovers as they gathered to celebrate World IP Day in fourteen Asia Pacific countries including Australia, China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
A range of activities promoted the talent and hard work that goes into some of the year’s most popular international titles (Beauty and the Beast, Hidden Figures and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), along with local feature films Galih & Ratna from Indonesia and a Singapore-Thai co-production Pop Aye.
Film communities hosted educational events aimed at raising awareness and respect for the role of intellectual property, and highlighted recent measures to help combat online piracy such as the Infringing Website List (IWL) initiative, blocking access to major pirate websites, and a range of voluntary agreements with stakeholders. The events were hosted by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), U.S. Embassies, Consulates and local film industries.
World Intellectual Property (IP) Day is an initiative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and has been celebrated annually on April 26 since its inception in 2001. This year, the theme is ‘Innovation – Improving Lives’.
Around the region, Government, Embassy and industry spokespeople took the opportunity to encourage people to pay special attention to the importance of intellectual property and the creative industries:
Addressing over 100 industry professionals and students at a screening event in Singapore, Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy Singapore, said, “This World IP Day, we celebrate the contributions made by creative minds everywhere whose new ideas drive human progress across a wide range of activities, cultural, scientific, technological and economic. However, as we celebrate our achievements, we must also be mindful of the need to ensure that innovation keeps coming and that innovative ideas are protected. We are proud to be partnering with the Motion Picture Association to recognize the importance of IP.”
In the Philippines, the U.S. Embassy, Intellectual Property Office Philippines (IPOPHL), Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI), Southeast Asia’s online video service – iflix, Solar Entertainment, the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) and the MPA came together to pledge renewed efforts to prevent online piracy and illegal camcording at a press briefing and presentation of the IWL initiative, as well as a special screening of Fast & Furious 8.
“Ad misplacement on these infringing sites may damage the reputation of brands. We do not want our brands to be associated with pirate sites that are engaged in criminal activities,” said Meryl Adiel Timbol-Hernandez, President, PANA. “Intellectual property crime damages industries that invest in producing legitimate goods and content, and costs the economy. Through the IWL, we, as part of the digital ad industry, are helping ensure that our advertisers and agencies that it is not helping fund piracy.”
“The cross-cutting importance of Intellectual Property in the economic competitiveness in the country cannot be stressed enough. IP involves not only various business sectors, but also the health and safety industry sectors; creative, innovation, and research and development sectors; inventors and other stakeholders, consumers, enforcement efforts, among others more,” stressed Josephine Santiago, Director General, Intellectual Property Office Philippines (IPOPHL). “Our celebrations for the National Intellectual Property Rights Month will further public appreciation of intellectual property to the country’s social, cultural and technological development.”
“Respecting creativity is a key component in promoting the development of the local creative industry. It is good to see that our industry has been working hard to establish the Infringing Website List to combat online piracy and strengthen copyright protection on the internet. I hope the government would support such a positive action,” said Hong Kong Legislator Councillor member, the Hon. Ma Fung-kwok (representing the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication).
In Vietnam, the MPA partnered with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the US Embassy Hanoi, CGV and the Vietnam Copyright Alliance to host a film workshop, screening and launch a new copyright protection trailer. Mr. Tran Nhat Hoang, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department, Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said, “World IP Day is an occasion for all of us to recognize creators and artists for their contribution. The Government of Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism are strong supporters of innovation and creativity. I trust the young Vietnamese of today can and should be able to make a living with their passion and we should express our appreciation for their labor and give them our support.”
Michael C. Ellis, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, MPA, said, “For filmmakers to continue to innovate, we need to ensure that they are incentivized for their work. And the best way for all of us to contribute to that environment is to respect their work and pay to access their films and TV shows through legitimate channels, whether at the cinema, on TV, or via one of the many, many new online services available to us.”
Every year MPA Asia Pacific works alongside local stakeholders to organize outreach programs during World IP Day to foster greater interaction among creative communities, various government agencies and students from all levels. These programs provide a platform for people to discuss, share and demonstrate how respect for IP can shape the future and contribute to a more vibrant global economy.
View images from events around the region here.
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About the MPA:
Promoting & Protecting Screen Communities in Asia Pacific
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I) represent the interests of the six international producers and distributors of filmed entertainment. To do so, they promote and protect the intellectual property rights of these companies and conduct public awareness programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting film and television industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike.
The organizations act on behalf of the members of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc (MPAA) which include; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. The MPA and the MPA-I have worldwide operations which are directed from their head offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and overseen in the Asia Pacific by a team based in Singapore. For more information about the MPA and the MPA-I, please visit www.mpa-i.org.
For more information, please contact
Stephen Jenner
MPA Asia-Pacific
(65) 6253 1033
June Tan
MPA Asia-Pacific
(65) 6253 1033