Fake goods haul in 2018 at record high of P23.6 billion.

The government captured P23.6 billion of pirated and counterfeit goods last year—an all-time-high record—on the back of strong police operations against fake cigarettes and alcohol. The total haul of the interagency National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) in 2018 increased nearly 188 percent to P23.6 billion, from P8.2 billion in 2017. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), this was the best performance of the NCIPR since it was formed in 2008. Confiscated fake cigarettes and alcohol amounted to P20.25 billion and P3 million, respectively, and accounted for the lion’s share or almost 86 percent of the total haul. Further, authorities captured P1.2 billion worth of counterfeit pharmaceutical and personal-care items, as well as knockoff handbags and wallets valued at P821 million. They were also able to seize P790 million of pirated optical media.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/02/01/fake-goods-haul-in-2018-at-record-high-of-p23-6-billion/