Flashcards Studio

A Filipino importer, Nina, brings into the Philippines 1,200 pirated copies of a copyrighted software manual by shipping them from an overseas supplier. She contracts a local printer to reproduce an additional 600 pirated copies of the same manual, then she sells 900 copies through her retail store and via an online marketplace. The publisher files a criminal complaint under RA 8792, Sec. 33(b) for piracy. In light of Sec. 33(b), identify the governing doctrine for criminal liability in IP piracy and state the essential elements of the offense; apply those elements to Nina’s acts and determine whether she is criminally liable for piracy, explaining why or why not, and distinguishing piracy from mere infringement; and finally assess whether Sec. 33(b) would still apply if Nina had only imported the pirated copies and did not sell or distribute them.