On 31 May 2024, over 14 members of the E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") gathered for the Fourth Annual Review and Assessment of the MOU.
During the meeting, members pushed to amend the terms of the MOU to factor in the broader objectives of Republic Act No. 11967 or the Internet Transactions Act of 2023 ("ITA") for a fairer and safer online space. The members suggested implementing measures that will strictly observe existing policy prohibiting prescription drugs from being made available for purchase online.
The proposed amendments aim to promote closer collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including the members of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR): the Department of Trade and Industry, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), Department of Justice, Bureau of Customs, Food and Drug Authority, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Optical Media Board, National Book Development Board, Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Bureau of Immigration.
The members of the MOU also suggested finetuning the MOU's terms to standardise the methods and metrics in searching counterfeit items.
