The Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City has remained on the United States watch list for piracy and counterfeiting, maintaining its notoriety despite continued government measures aimed at curbing the illicit trade.
In its 2024 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) first highlighted the government’s actions in 2024, recognizing the state’s efforts during the year to stop the illegal trade.
“Law enforcement authorities, in collaboration with right holders, have conducted raids at the mall, and the management at Greenhills Shopping Center has applied a three-strikes rule to take action against counterfeit sellers,” the report said.
Rezoning
“The government, through the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights, has worked with right holders and shopping center management on implementing a transition program to transform Greenhills Shopping Center into a high-end mall with legitimate sellers,” it added.
READ: Greenhills shopping center aims to shed ‘counterfeit haven’ tag
The USTR report said the government program includes efforts at rezoning the mall and shifting sellers to local products through incentives and premium locations in the mall.
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These actions have been welcomed by rights holders and have seen it as an opportunity to collaborate with government authorities and the Greenhills Shopping Center management to remove counterfeit sellers, it added.
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Despite this, the USTR report said that the shopping complex remains popular on social media as a destination for purchasing counterfeit goods, and right holders report high volumes of counterfeit goods in secret storerooms.
“Right holders continue to wait and see if the transition program will result in addressing the volume of counterfeit goods,” cited the report.
According to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), there was a record increase in the value of seized counterfeit goods from ports of entry, physical markets and warehouses in 2024.
An estimated $617.8 million worth of these contraband was seized from January to September 2024, exceeding the preceding year’s $471.4-million total.
In May 2024, the IPOPHL said that the management of the Greenhills Shopping Center aimed to quash counterfeiting inside its premises by 2027.
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A multi-year plan was reportedly discussed with them to gradually move 100 percent of its merchants away from selling IP-infringing products by 2027.
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