Of Duty-Free Book Importations and
Secondary Liability for Copyright
Infringement
Dr. Dennis T. Gonzalez
NBDB Chair and Associate Dean of Ateneo School of Government
3rd Philippine Book, Information Science and Technology Conference and Fair
10 AM Opening Ceremonies, 11 August 2009

V I S I O N
The National Book Development Board is the leading catalyst that provides directions and the environment for the stimulation and improvement of the book publishing industry towards making it world-class and globally competitive.
National Book Development Board

M I S S I O N
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Increase investment in the Book Industry
Develop an environment conducive for the growth of the book publishing industry
Enhance market growth of the book industry by promoting lifelong learning through readership
National Book Development Board

Duty-Free Book Importation and
Incentives for local content creators
1. IRR on Book Importation
National Book Development Board

Books that can be imported that are in printed formats
Activity books, Board books, Books with toys, Box sets, Card sets, Catalogs,
Cloth books, Coffee-table books,Foam books, Hardcover, Mass market books,
Movable books, Paperback, Picture books, Plastic books,Pop-up books,
Reference books, Sound books,
Storybooks, Textbooks, Tome, touchand-feel books, trade books, Workbooks,

Books that can be imported that are in multi-media formats
Audio book, Book in DVDs/CDs, E-Book, E-
Journals, print book with non-print formats,
Activity Sets, Books with CDs or DVDs.

Publishers, importers and distributors involved in making books and materials available to the public for profit; Provided they are registered with the NBDB and comply with the requirements herein.

On books purchased abroad and received by post by private persons?
 Exempt from Customs Duties per section 105[s] of the Tariff and Customs Code, as amended.
 Exempt from Value Added Tax [VAT] per Section
109[r] of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended. (R.A. 9337)
 Imported books (in bulk), processed through
Mabuhay Lane, are released directly to the person or company on the same day with approved letter of exemption.

Duty-Free Book Importation and
Incentives for local content creators
2. Academic Publishing Conference
3. Philippine Association of Scholarly and Academic Publishers (PASAP)
4. Trust fund to support Filipino authorship

1. Resolution on PD 1203
2. Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Inc.
3. NBDB Fair-Use Guidelines on Classroom Copying
4. Setting up of Anti-Book Piracy Coalition (ABC)
5. Copyright Seminars for authors and publishers
National Book Development Board

“…because of the dearth of locally produced textbooks, students simply photocopy expensive foreign textbooks.
The proliferation of these cheap pirated versions prevents local publishers from taking the risk of producing the required textbooks. This cycle must be stopped.”
- UP President Emerlinda
R. Roman
National Book Development Board

Office of the Chairman
National Book Development Board
2/F National Printing Office Bldg.
EDSA cor. NIA Northside Road
Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City, Philippines www.nbdb.gov.ph
Telefax : 9293883
Email: board@nbdb.gov.ph