Piracy is theft: Rex
Education rallies consumers, publishing industry to support its anti-piracy
campaign
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.
(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
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.
“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.
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