The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, brand owners and enforcement agencies held a dialogue with the Greenhills Shopping Center, which presented ongoing developments in its campaign to encourage its flea market traders to shift away from counterfeit products.
The Greenhills Shopping Center (GSC) is shedding away its image as the 'fake capital of the Philippines.'
In a dialogue with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), brand owners and enforcement agencies have agreed to GSC's 10-year roadmap, which would encourage merchants to stop selling counterfeit products starting in 2027.
"What we have done so far is really to educate our traders along the way, to tell them that it's time to change and that there are other products to profit from," said GSC assistant vice president and Trade Fairs and Exhibits head James Candelaria. Some of GSC's notable and recent education initiatives include a learning event with the Department of Trade and Industry attended by over 400 merchants and "Bagsakan" events where the GSC showcases local products traders could explore selling.
Starting in 2020, GSC management decided to reduce the number of stalls to 1,412 from 1,771. Candelaria also reported that as of October 2023, 80% of the traders had gone through the transition program and were now selling local products, Halal items, jewelry, antiques, furniture, and artworks.
Candelaria also showed that over the years since the implementation of the roadmap, the mall was able to weed out nearly 299 stores by suspension. The GSC suspends stores that violate its rules, including IP rules, and, according to Candelaria, the majority of the suspended sellers do not return to the GSC.
Since 2022, the mall has refused to accept applicants who intend to sell bags, watches, and similar products, except where local manufacturers or labeled products are involved. This category usually accounts for a large share of the counterfeit products seized by the National Committee on IP Rights (NCIPR).
The GSC also provided incentives to stores that sell local delicacies and items, placing them at premium locations, which stand at various entrances of the building where the flea market is located.
The meeting was also attended by the legal representatives of luxury brands, who were able to discuss solutions with GSC for their teams to monitor stores better. Also in attendance were NCIPR members, such as the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Customs.
The dialogue was followed by a brief tour, during which GSC showed the new mall building, which is filled with well-known apparel brands, food stores, and a flea market.
IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba reminded stall owners of the importance of selling original products, noting that IPOPHL will soon conduct an IP briefing with them to help them transition to legitimate goods.
Barba also commended the GSC's ongoing efforts to cultivate IP respect among its merchants.
"We laud the GSC's commitment to work with its merchants to create a fairer and more IP-conscious business environment. We look forward to seeing more positive outcomes from this transition program," Barba said.
Meanwhile, DTI Secretary Fred Pascual, who had been informed of the developments at the mall, lauded the GSC and its merchants for a more active approach to respect IP and urged other counterfeiting hotspots to follow suit.
"We call on other malls to look at the GSC as an example and see how good business practices can be done gradually," added Secretary Pascual, also chair of the NCIPR.
While the GSC is the lone physical market flagged in the United States Trade Representative Notorious Markets Lists, it is joined by the Cartimar Shopping Center and the markets of Baclaran and Divisoria in the European Commission's Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List.
IPOPHL Supervising Director Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan said the IP Rights Enforcement Office is working to urge soon the Metro Manila Council—composed of the mayors of the cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region—in IPOPHL's push to clean out counterfeiting in markets.
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