(L-R) Alvin Halcon, vice president of Philippine Group of Law Librarians
(PGLL) and member of the Network of Academic Law Librarians; Alexis Vien
Regala, national president of the Association of Law Students of the
Philippines (ALSP); Jeanne Marie Tordesillas, chief marketing officer of Rex
Education; Atty. Anna Marie Melanie B. Trinidad, chairperson of the Legal
Education Board; Atty. Dominador Buhain, chairman and president of Rex Group of
Companies; Dean Gemy Lito Festin, president of Philippine Association of Law
Schools (PALS); Danda Crimelada Garcia, chief external affairs officer of Rex
Education; Franklin Benedict Guerra, general manager of Rex Education’s Law
Business Unit; and Bernice Mangabat, treasurer of PGLL
Piracy is theft;
piracy is a crime.
In a bid to
encourage consumers to stand against piracy, protect intellectual property, and
support the local book publishing industry, Rex Education launched its
anti-piracy campaign at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) 2022.
“After more than
70 years in the publishing industry, I can say that I am proud of the
contribution and impact that every REX book has had in the lives of our
learners. And we, at REX, would like to keep serving the Filipino learner
through our learning materials—may it be printed, audio, or digital form.
Through this anti-piracy campaign, we can keep the book industry flourishing
and thriving. We can keep the passing of knowledge a sacred endeavor,” said
Atty. Dominador Buhain, chairman of Rex Education.
Piracy
is punishable by law
Educational book
publishing is protected by Republic Act (RA) 8293, otherwise known as the
Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines. Under this law, the unauthorized
reproduction and distribution of books, audiobooks, and other printed or digital
learning materials is illegal and punishable by imprisonment and fines of up to
PHP 1.5 million.
However, piracy
remains widespread in the country. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the
Philippines (IPOPHL), they received a 25% increase in piracy reports
from consumers and complaints from rights holders in 2021 compared with reports
in 2020. General and educational books and e-books accounted for 49% of reports
on piracy, suggesting that many learning materials are still being downloaded
and distributed illegally despite the rise of legitimate e-commerce shops and
the prevalent availability of e-books and audiobooks.
Rex Education
launched its anti-piracy campaign to continue educating Filipinos about the
damaging effects of piracy on authors and publishers. Rex also encourages
consumers, who have become ubiquitous keepers of knowledge in this digital age,
to help stop the illegal reproduction and distribution of books, e-books, audio
books, and all other learning tools and materials.
The movement
aims to protect the hard work and talent of creators, and ultimately create a
ripple effect in strengthening the respect for published materials to keep the
publishing industry thriving.
“Time, effort,
money, and hard work go into every book that comes out of REX’s printing house.
Hundreds of authors and thousands of employees are sustained by the learning
materials we produce. Piracy is a crime. Piracy is disrespectful to authors,
editors, artists, and the publishing industry as a whole,” said Jeanne
Tordesillas, chief marketing officer of Rex Education.
No
to book piracy; respect creativity
MIBF 2022 showed
a strong confluence of the book publishing industry, educators, stakeholders
from the education sector, creators and authors, consumers, and Filipino
learners. Anchoring the movement at one of the biggest and most sought-after
book fairs in the country meant bringing it closer to the learners and creators
protected by the anti-piracy campaign.
With the call
“No to book piracy, protect intellectual property, respect creativity,” REX staged
a rally around the venue with placards, t-shirts, and flyers. The staged rally
gained instant attention and traction throughout the fair, leading attendees to
the REX booth where the launch of the anti-piracy campaign was held.
Piracy
is theft: Rex Education launched its anti-piracy campaign at the MIBF 2022
“We would like
to keep providing authors an avenue to share their talents and pass on their
knowledge to the next generation. We would like to keep providing jobs to our
employees and workers of the publishing industry, most especially during these
trying times. We want to teach the culture of discipline and respect to the
next generation, so they value what goes into every book that passes through
their hands,” said Buhain during the launch. “Today, we invite you to join us.
Support the local publishing industry. Say no to piracy.”
Join Rex
Education in saying “no” to book piracy and “yes” to protecting creativity and
intellectual property. Buy from legitimate sources; buy original. Watch
and share the “Proud Ako” anti-piracy campaign video launched at the
MIBF 2022, showcasing the hard work that goes behind every published book and
learning material produced by REX.
To support Rex Education and its efforts to protect
the publishing industry, visit www.rex.com.ph.
