The Philippines has renewed its call at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to convene a long-delayed Diplomatic Conference to conclude the Broadcasting Organizations Treaty, nearly three decades after negotiations began in Manila in 1997.
During the 47th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCRR) held last month in Geneva, Philippine Mission consul general Felipe “Bong” Cariño III delivered the country’s statement, jointly prepared with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
The Philippine delegation warned that continued delays in finalizing the treaty leave broadcasters — particularly those in developing economies — exposed to cross-border signal piracy.
It said existing international rules, anchored on the 1961 Rome Convention, are no longer adequate to address digital-era piracy and unauthorized retransmissions.
The Philippines argued that the latest draft of the Broadcasting Treaty already includes safeguards for the public domain, flexibilities for developing countries, and built-in limitations and exceptions, addressing long-standing concerns raised by stakeholders.
“The world is watching whether WIPO can still deliver balanced agreements,” Cariño said. “Twenty-eight years is long enough. Let us finish what Manila started.”
Beyond the broadcasting treaty, the Philippines also pushed for broader reforms aimed at a more inclusive and balanced global copyright system.
The delegation reiterated its support for WIPO to build on the outcomes of the African Regional Conference on Artist’s Resale Rights by holding a similar conference for the Asia-Pacific region — an event the Philippines said it is willing to host.
It noted that countries in the region share common challenges in strengthening collective management systems and in designing appropriate resale-right frameworks.
The Philippines also backed proposals for two separate studies on the audiovisual sector: one focusing on the rights and remuneration of audiovisual authors such as producers and directors, and another examining the rights of actors and other audiovisual performers, including payment mechanisms for the exploitation of their performances.
Acting IPOPHL director general Nathaniel S. Arevalo said the country’s position reflects the need for practical and timely action in international copyright policymaking.
“Balanced copyright must work in the real world,” Arevalo said. “After nearly three decades, it is time to move forward, explore and utilize policy space, and respond to the challenge of strengthening protection for creators and broadcasters while keeping access and fairness at the core.”
Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights director Emerson G. Cuyo, who represented IPOPHL at the SCCRR meetings, said the proposed studies are increasingly important as digital and on-demand platforms reshape how audiovisual works are accessed and monetized.
“These studies are timely and necessary, particularly for developing countries,” Cuyo said, adding that they should examine not only legal rights but also actual remuneration practices across different jurisdictions.
Cuyo said the studies will also support IPOPHL as it prepares the implementing regulations for the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (BTAP), which entered into force in 2020.
Adopted in 2012, the BTAP sets international standards for the protection and remuneration of audiovisual performers in both recorded and live performances, recognizing their role in bringing creative works to the public
