Intellectual property beyond the possibilities

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“I think we should look at our treasure chest and see which ideas can still have legs.” — Marlon Rivera, writer-director

The 2nd Philippine International Copyright Summit (PICS) spearheaded by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) was supported by 22 key public and private sectors and partners including the Quezon City local government, the Department of Trade and Industry, GMA News, IPOHIL’s Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights, and many more intellectual property stakeholders. Notwithstanding Typhoon Kristine that also traversed Metro Manila during that week, the five-day event gathered nearly 200 participants, experts and policymakers from within and outside the Philippines,

On the last day of the summit held at Novotel Manila Araneta City, Quezon City Film Commission Executive Director Liza Diño-Seguerra moderated the discussion on “Television, Film and Broadcast Industry.” Director-writer Marlon Rivera, GMA Network Assistant vice president for Litigation and Special Projects Atty. Jose Vener C.Ibarra, Sony Pictures Entertainment vice president and head of APAC Public Policy Jared Dougherty, and director of International Development of SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music) Habib Achour were the resource persons.

In her presentation, Diño highlighted two important developments in the entertainment industry: 1) the shift of the audience’s viewing habit to streaming platforms, and 2) the collaboration of the streaming platform companies with local creators to produce content expressly for the region.

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Diño said, “You see the declining number of moviegoers in the cinemas. We are going through a revolution. There’s a digital wave that is transforming Southeast Asia. This is something that we should accept so that we understand how we can take advantage of it.”

With the rise in digital platforms, intellectual property like books and comics, TV shows, and movies are finding life beyond the original formats and audience for which they were created.

She pointed out the increasing interest, production and acquisition of localized content such as the Filipino comics series “Trese” that was turned into an animated series and the Thai film “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies,” both of which were streamed on Netflix.

Global entertainment companies like Sony Pictures recognize the potential of a film or series or content that is popular and accepted in its home country to be embraced by the rest of the world. Jared Dougherty, Sony Pictures Entertainment VP and head of APAC Public Policy, said, “We look for content that resonates well in the domestic market. So a story that is well-told, well-appreciated, and valued, very often by the seats in cinema or viewers online in their own country, is very often the one that can travel the best because stories can be universal. But authenticity, I think, is really the essence of it.”

Diño praised Sony for being the distribution partner of SB19’s documentary “Pagtatag,” not just for taking a risk on the genre but also for screening it in the movie theaters. “It’s a documentary, a format not normally enjoyed in cinemas,” she reiterated. “It’s a very bold move to put on commercial screens.”

Speaking on behalf of music creators, France-based Habib Achour, Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) director of International Development, reminded that film musicians could also have copyright claims to the intellectual property that is the film. “When you are a writer or a director of a film, you have some claims automatically to the piece… Yeah, the writer, then the director… (But) then, the music composer is considered as the third creator of the film.”

Writer-director Marlon Rivera highlighted the need to realize there is a broader future for concepts, for ideas, for intellectual property. “I did franchise work,” he said, referring to his films “My Big Bossing” and “My Little Bossings” which he wrote for actor-producer Vic Sotto.

Director Rivera declared, “So, I’m used to the idea of finding existing idea. There is a legacy that can be built. You need to take something new out of that. I don’t think ideas should be thrown away when they’re done.”

Addressing writers and creators like himself, he urged, “I think we should look at our treasure chest and see which ideas can still have legs.”

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