NTC to Require License for Everyday Online Activity
By Rico, 12:12 pm Thu Jan 22 2009 - News - 4 Opinions
Have you ever posted a comment on a blog, uploaded photos, or had a conversation via chat? Well, if some elements of the National Telecommunications Commission have their way, you’ll have to pay.
How much? Before we get into the nitty-gritty of things here’s a list of charges and fees from the NTC website:
D. FEES AND CHARGES
1. The following fees and charges shall be imposed:
a. Filing Fee: P300.00
b. Annual Registration Fee: P6,000.00
c. Surcharge for late filing of application for renewal: 50% of the annual registration fee if application is filed within six (6) months from date of expiry, 100% if filed after six (6) months from date of expiry.
The license seemingly applies to practically any kind of activity online because of the vagueness of the proposal. Based on the general wording of the document, plus the fact that it’s named “electronic_games.html”, it’s easy to assume that the NTC is trying to raise cash from the increasingly lucrative local online gaming market.
But what about amateur developers who create their own games and make them available online at their own cost? Would they still be willing to share their hard work if they had to pay a lot to do so?
At the same time, the focus on “contents developers” is also clear; bloggers may also find themselves required to pay the hefty license fee on an annual basis—if the NTC manages to effectively enforce the license requirement. New blogs are springing up every day, and what about people who have blogged for less than a year? Or just for fun?
If the question of enforceability and jurisdiction (what if the blog or online game runs on a US server?) are somehow resolved, you still have the issue of applicability. Just exactly who does this proposed license apply to, and to what degree?
From codamon.com.
Fitz
8:08 am Fri Jan 23 2009
This news is so… frustrating. Those people at NTC are not using their brains.
Don’t they know how hard it is to track people’s online activities? It’s close to impossible. And even if they do find a way, it’s so easy to be anonymous online anyway.
Mike Abundo
5:05 am Sat Jan 24 2009
Comments are content. I’d need a license just to post this comment.
the_cracker
1:01 pm Mon Aug 17 2009
hindi ba kayo nagiisip.
NTC_blogger
10:10 pm Wed Dec 9 2009
approveb na ba ang draft na ito ? i mean batas na ba talaga na dapat kumuha ka na license para mag develop ng content ? pano kung ang gagawin kung website eh puro picture, o yong assignment namin sa school na gumawa kami ng website, magbabayad pa ba kami ?