The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have teamed up to give Filipino creators a globally recognized digital identity – free of charge – that links them to their work across platforms and markets worldwide.
Under a memorandum of agreement signed on April 17 in Makati, the two agencies will work together to register eligible Filipino creatives under the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) system, alongside formal copyright registration. The six-month program targets over 5,700 ISNI numbers and copyright certificates, all issued at no cost to applicants.
ISNI is a unique, permanent 16-digit code assigned to individual creators, including authors, musicians, visual artists, photographers, and journalists. The system is already integrated into major global platforms such as Apple Music, Amazon, Meta, and YouTube, as well as book publishers and national libraries. It currently covers over 16.5 million public individuals and organizations worldwide. For Filipino creators, registration means their authorship can be tracked and verified wherever their work ends up, making it easier for platforms and distributors to route royalties correctly.
IPOPHL Acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo described the initiative as timely for a creative sector increasingly operating across borders. “In recognizing that creative industries are key drivers of an economy, it is imperative we mobilize support of Philippine creatives in fostering a more sustainable, inclusive and dynamic creative economy,” he said.
Deputy Director General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan added that the partnership would strengthen copyright registration processes and build greater IP rights awareness among creators.
DTI Assistant Secretary Nylah Rizza D. Bautista stressed what the program is ultimately about. “Behind every product, every design, every brand, there is a Filipino who took a risk, who invested time, talent, and heart into their work. And that deserves not just recognition, but ownership,” she said.
Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Secretariat, called it “an investment in the dignity of Filipino creativity.”
The program is anchored on Republic Act No. 11904, the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, and forms part of DTI’s Malikhaing Pinoy program. IPOPHL will also conduct training sessions and awareness campaigns to help artists and industry stakeholders understand how the system works. The agency notes that ISNI can also help distinguish human-created content from AI-generated material, an increasingly relevant issue for creators on digital platforms.
Filipino artists, authors, photographers, and journalists who want to register under the program can contact IPOPHL directly to check eligibility before the six-month window closes.
