The Optical Media Board has demanded a public apology from the Intellectual Property Alliance in Washington D.C. for spreading false information against the Philippines concerning the issue of piracy and violation of intellectual property rights.

In a March 3 letter to Michael Schlesinger of the IIPA, chairman and chief executive Eduardo Manzano demanded that the public apology ?be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines within five days from notice.?

Manzano said failure on the part of the IIPA to do so would lead the OMB to take civil and criminal action against the organization and its representative in the country. He lashed out at the IIPA?s ?baseless and unfounded comments? to the US Trade Representative against his agency that, he said, have jeopardized the Philippines? trade and diplomatic relations with the US government.

It appears that the IIPA submitted a report to the USTR which, among other things, accuses the Philippines of being a ?net exporter? of pirated goods.

The report alleged that copies made illegally in the Philippines have been found in 13 countries. It also claimed that there are now 13 replicating facilities in the Philippines and that the OMB has licensed three more in the past three years. In an earlier letter to Jennifer Choe Groves, chair of the Special 301 Committee of the Office of the USTR, Manzano disputed IIPA?s report, which based its claim on replicating facilities on Year 2000 data.

?Per our latest inspection conducted in January 2009, from 13 replicating facilities, the number has gone down to only three,? Manzano said. He also belied the IIPA?s charge that the OMB has licensed three more such facilities in the past three years. He pointed out that his agency has closed down three such facilities, one was razed by fire while the others voluntarily ceased operation due to lack of market demand. He also flatly denied that the OMB has licensed a plant that had earlier engaged in piracy.