THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
S. N ~ .  
2
1
 
8 2 
Introduced by Senator Luisa ‘’Loi” P. Ejercito Estradr 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Illegal,..reproduction of copyrighted books and printed materials through 
photocopying, duplication and printing machines has harmful effects not only to the 
authors and publishers of said books but also to the country and citizenry. 
Authors would not only be deprived of the economic benefits in form of royalties 
and revenue but it would also stop the sharing of knowledge and progress of thought 
because of the disincentive that would be created by such illegal practice. Proliferation 
of varied reading materials essential to the conntry’s intellectual and economic growth 
would eventually cease to exist if the scenario remains unabated. 
t 
It is a public knowledge that photocopying, duplicating and printing machines 
located near or within the premises of educational institutions are at times being used to 
illegally reproduce copyrighted books and materials with the presumed knowledge and 
consent of the school officials. 
The bill therefore seeks to eradicate the nefarious effects of illegal reproduction of 
copyrighted books and printed materials through the joint efforts of the schools, 
universities, etc., operators of photocopying, duplicating and printing machines and 
buyers or users by making the owners or the highest officers of the photocopying, 
duplicating and printing machine situated within the premises of concerned educational 
institutions and the highest officers of said educational institution liable criminally 
through the pertinent provisions of the proposed measure without prejudice to penalties 
already imposed by Copyright Law and Revised Penal Code and other appropriate laws. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
LUISA “Loi” P. 
A 
- Senator 


.. 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
Introduced by Senator Luisa "Loi" P. Ejercito Estrada 
AN ACT 
DECLARING IT UNLAWFUL TO ILLEGALLY REPRODUCE COPYRIGHTED 
BOOKS 
AND 
PRINTED 
MATERIALS 
THROUGH 
PHOTOCOPYDIG, 
DUPLICATING, PRINTING OR SIMILAR MEANS WITHOUT THE WRITTEN 
CONSENT OF'THE COPYRIGHTED OWNER WHETHER THE PUBLISHER OR 
THE AUTHOR OR BOTH. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Repvesentatives in Congvess 
assern bled: 
SECTION 1. Illegal Reproduction - It shall be unlawful for auy person to 
reproduce copyrighted books and printed materials through photocopying, duplicating, 
printing or similar means without written consent of the copyrighted owner whether the 
publisher or the author or both. 
SEC 2. Penalty - Those who shall violate the preceding section shall suffer the 
following penalties, without prejudice to those imposed by pertinent provisions of the 
Revised Penal Code (RPC), The Intellectual Property Code (R.A. N. 8293) and other 
special penal laws: 
1) Imprisonment of twelve years plus a fine ranging between 
P100,000.00 to P 250,000.00 imposed against the operator of an 
establishment illegally reproducing said materials for profit. In the 
event that the establishment is canied on by a corporation or any other 
juridical entity, the responsible officers thereof shall be made to 
suffer. 
2) Imprisonment o f  five years and a fine of P50,OOO.OO imposed against 
the employees of said establishment, unless they can prove that they 
act through compulsion or any other form of coercion. 
3) Imprisonment of two years and a fine of P 10,000.00 imposed against 
anyone who shall buy any of the illegally reproduced materials as 
mentioned in this Act. 
4) Imprisonment of one year or a fine of P 10,000.00 imposed against any 
person who shall violate the preceding article not for profit but for 
personal consumption. 
SEC. 3 All school, universities and other educational institutions through its 
highest officers or the highest officer of any entity of the photocopying, duplicating and 
printing machines situated within the premises of said educational institution or within 


ten (10) meters from the said educational institution (whichever has the greater territorial 
reach) shall be jointly and severally liable as principal and buyers or users as accessory 
for the illegal reproduction of copyrighted books and printed materials amending for the 
purpose pertinent provisions of the Intellectual Property Code (R.A. No. 8293) and the 
Revised Penal Code. as amended. 
SEC. 4. Within ninety (90) days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of 
the Department of Justice (DOJ) in close consultation and coordination with the 
Philippine Reprographic Rights Organization (PRRO), Philippine Educational Publishers 
Association (F'EPA), Philippine Legal Writers Association (PLWA), Book Development 
Association of the Philippines (BDAF'), Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc. (PBAI), 
Publishers Representatives Organization of the Philippines (PROP) and New Book 
Suppliers Association of the Philippines (NBSAP) and other associations of publishers, 
writers and authors shall formulate and promulgate the necessary implementing rules and 
regulations of this Act. Such rules and regulations be furnished to the Senate and the 
House of Representatives. 
SEC. 5. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations and other issuances, or 
parts thereof which are inconsistent with or contrary to any provision of this Act are 
hereby deemed repealed or amended accordingly. 
SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication 
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official Gazette. 
Approved.