Abstract
The government attitude toward the informal sector in piracy-laden countries in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam has been ignored in media piracy studies. Investigations often focus on the deficient copyright laws and law enforcement. This chapter explores the relationship between the supportive and nonhostile government policy toward the informal sector and the difficulty of fully formalizing the optical media business, specifically the optical media retail piracy trade, as demanded by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and corporate lobbying groups such as the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA). To provide a context to this connection, this chapter first provides an overview and clarification on the definition and measurement of the informal sector, citing some current issues and problems encountered by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and researchers in dealing with this term. Then using some secondary data, it proceeds to illustrate some important contributions of this sector—which includes the informal optical media retail piracy trade—to the overall economy of Southeast Asian countries, particularly to those of piracy-laden ASEAN countries. Generally, it argues that the supportive or tolerant attitude of the Philippine and Vietnamese governments as reflected in their legislation and programs toward the informal sector supports informality in business and thus provides a friendly environment for informal employment and trade such as the optical media retail trade to flourish in the informal sector. Emerging economies such as the Philippines and Vietnam see the important role of the informal sector in employment generation and economic growth. Thus, they see no urgency to expedite the full formalization of the informal optical media trade and immediately comply with the IPR demands of the United States and the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Although the Philippines was removed from the USTR ’s watch lists since 2014, doubts still linger whether media piracy has really waned as the IIPA still wants the country to remain in the lists due to continued copyright infringement in the country. Speculations abound which suggest that the removal of the Philippines from the lists has something to do with the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA ) with the United States that allows joint military exercises between the two countries to counter China ’s excursion in the West Philippine Sea. Malaysia was removed from the lists, but Internet piracy still remains in the country according to the 2014 IIPA Special 301 Report. Indonesia and Thailand remained in the lists and Vietnam was placed in PWL for the first time after being in the WL for a long time (2014 IIPA Special 301 Report, Vietnam).
- 2.
Doi Moi is a major economic reform policy in Vietnam which aims to transform its economy from centrally planned economy to market economy. One important feature of this reform is the privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which encourages informal trading and small informal business.
- 3.
“Measuring the informal sector” ADB Regional Technical Assistance Report. December 2007 at http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/65472/41144-reg-tar.pdf
- 4.
Please see Chap. 6 of this book for a more detailed discussion on the social forces that drive Muslims into the informal piracy trade.
- 5.
Please see Chap. 5 for a more detailed description on the social forces that push Maranao Muslims into the informal optical piracy trade.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
See “Research of Informal Employment in Vietnam : Current Situation and Solutions,” pp. 9–15 at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-hanoi/documents/publication/wcms_171762.pdf.
- 13.
sme.com.vn, 2003
- 14.
- 15.
This explains why there are no official records on the number and profile of illegal vendors and informal workers of the piracy trade that exist.
References
Andrews, D., Caldera Sánchez, A., & Johansson, Å. (2011). Towards a better understanding of the informal economy. OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 873, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5kgb1mf88x28-en
Arnold, D. (2013). Social margins and precarious work in Vietnam. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(4), 468–487. Doi: 10.1177/0002764212466245.
Becker, K. (2004). The informal economy: Fact finding study. Stockholm: SIDA.
Bluch, N. (2001). The informal sector revisited: A synthesis across space and time. Social protection discussion series, World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0119.pdf
Browmik, S. (2005). Street vendors in Asia: A review. Economic and Political Weekly, 40(22–23), 2256–2264.
Casanova-Dorato, F. (2010, March). Informal economy budget analysis in Philippines and Quezon City. WEIGO Working Paper No. 12. http://www.inclusivecities.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Casanova-Dorotan_WIEGO_WP12.pdf. Accessed 20 May 2015.
Castells, M., & Portes, A. (1989). World underneath: The origins, dynamics and effects of the informal economy. In A. Portes, M. Castells, & L. A. Benton (Eds.), The informal economy: Studies in advanced and less developed countries, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Chen, M. A. (2007). Rethinking the informal sector: linkages with the formal economy and formal regulatory environment. DESA Working Paper No. 46. ST/ESA/2007/DWP/46. http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2007/wp46_2007.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr 2014.
Chickering, A., & Salahdine, M. (1991), Introduction. In A. Chickeringa & M. Salahdine (Eds.), The silent revolution. San Francisco: International Center for Economic Growth.
Cling, J. P., Razafindrakoto, M., Roubaud, F. (2010). The informal sector in Vietnam, study for the ILO. http://www.tamdaoconf.com/tamdao/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2010/08/DIAL-ILO-Study-informal-Vietnam-2010.pdf. Accessed 3 May 2014.
Cling, J. P., Razafindrakoto, M., & Roubaud, F. (2012). Explanatory factors behind formalizing non-farm household businesses in Vietnam. www.dial.ird.fr/…/DT+2012-20+Cling+−+Razafindrakoto+−+Roubaud.pdf
Cu Chi Loi. (2005). Rural to urban migration in Viet Nam. http://www.ide.go.jp/English /Publish/Download/Asedp/pdf/071_7.pdf
Dabla-Norris, E., & Inchauste, G. (2008). Informality and regulations: What drives the growth of firms? IMF Staff Papers, 55(1). International Monetary Fund. http://www.Imf.org
Dilnot, A., & Morris, C. (1981). What do we know about the black economy in the United Kingdom? Fiscal Studies, 2, 163–179.
Djankov, S., et al. (2002). The regulation of entry. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, CXVII(1), 1–37.
Easton, S. (2001). The size of the underground economy: A review of the estimates. Mimeo: Simon Fraser University.
Feld, L. P., & Schneider, F. (2010). Survey on the shadow economy and undeclared earnings in OECD countries. German Economic Review, 11(2), 109–149.
Ferman, P., & Ferman, L. (1973). The structural underpinning of the irregular economy. Poverty and Human Resources Abstracts, 8, 3–17.
Fields, G. (2005). A guide to multisector market models, social protection. Discussion Paper No. 0505, World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-papers/Labor-Market-DP/0505.pdf
Freeman, D. B. (1996). Doi Moi policy and the small-enterprise boom in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. The Geographical Review, 86. http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001643249.
Gaughan, J., & Ferman, L.A. (1987). Toward an understanding of the informal economy. ANNALS, AAPSS, 493, 15–25.
Gutmann, P. (1977). The subterranean economy. Financial Analysis Journal, 33, 24–27.
Hackenberg, R. A. (1980). New patterns of urbanization in Southeast Asia: An assessment. Population and Development Review, 6(3), 391–419. Doi: 10.2307/1972408.
Hakkala, K., & Kokko, A. (2007). The state and the private sector in Vietnam. Working Paper 236. http://www.swopec.hhs.se/eijswp/papers/eijswp0236.Pdf
Harris, J. R., & Todaro, M. P. (1970). Migration, unemployment and development: A two-sector analysis. American Economic Review, 60(1), 126–142.
Henry, S. (1987). The political economy of informal economies. ANNALS, AAPSS, 493, 137–153.
Houston, J. (1987). The underground economy: A troubling issue for policymakers. Business Review Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 1987, 3–12.
ILO. (2002). Women and men in the informal sector: A statistical picture. Geneva: Employment Sector. http://onlinewomeninpolitics.org/beijing12/womenmen.pdf. Accessed 8 Feb 2014.
Jamil, S. (2013, January) Connecting the dots: The urban informal sector and climate vulnerabilities in Southeast Asian megacities. NTS Alert No. AL13-01. http://www.rsis.edu.sg/nts/html-newsletter/alert/nts-alert-1301.html
Kabra, K. N. (1995). The informal sector: A reappraisal. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 25(2), 197–232.
Karaos, A. (1985). Manila urban poor: Dimensions of marginality and powers. Pulso, 1(3), 241–252.
Kenyon, T. (2007). A framework for thinking about enterprise formalization policies in developing countries. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 4235. http://www.papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=988845. Accessed 7 Jan 2014.
Koo, H., & Smith, P. C. (1983). Migration, the urban informal sector, and earnings in the Philippines. The Sociological Quarterly, 24(2), 219–232.
Lagos, R. A. (1995). Formalizing the informal sector: Costs and barriers. Development and Change, 26(1), 111–131.
Lewis, A. (1954). Economic development with unlimited supplies of labor. Manchester School, 22, 139–191.
Le, N. N. & Rondinelli, D. (1993). Small business development and economic transformation in Vietnam. Journal of Asian Business, 9, 1–23.
Losby, J. L. et al. (2002). Informal economy literature review. ISED/Aspen institute. http://www.kingslow-assoc.com/images/Informal_Economy_Lit_Review.pdf
Maldonando, C. (1995). The informal sector: Legalization or laissez-faire? International Labour Review, 134(6), 705–728.
MoLISA (2010).Vietnam employment trends 2010. Ministry of Labor Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). Jan 2011. http://www.ilo.org/hanoi/Whatwedo/Publications/WCMS_151318/lang--en/index.htm. Accessed 4 July 2015.
McCrohan, K., & Smith, J. (1986). A consumer expenditure approach to estimating the size of the underground economy. Journal of Marketing, 50, 48–60.
Pastrana, C. S. (2009). The informal sector and the non-Regular employment in the Philippines. http://www.adbi.org/files/2009.12.15.cpp.sess2.3.pastrana.paper.non.regular.employment.philippines.pdf
Rawaa, H. (2013). Heterogeneity in the Egyptian informal labour market: Choice or obligation? ftp://mse.univ-paris1.fr/pub/mse/CES2013/13032.pdf. Accessed 5 June 2015.
Schneider, F. (2002) Size and measurement of the informal economy in 110 countries around the world. http://rru.worldbank.org
Schneider, F., Buehn, A., Montenegro, C. E. (2010). Shadow economies all over the world, new estimates for 162 countries from 1999 to 2007. Policy research working paper 5356, July 2010, the World Bank. elibrary.worldbank.org
Schneider, F., & Enste, D. H. (2000). Shadow economies: Size, causes and consequences. Journal of Economic Literature, 38(1), 77–114.
Simon, C., & Witte, A. (1982). Beating the system: The underground economy. Boston: Auburn House Publishing Company.
Smith, P. (1994). Assessing the size of the underground economy: The Statistics Canada perspectives. Canadian Economic Observer, Catalogue No.: 11-010, 3.16-33, at 3.18.Spiro, Peter, S. (1993). Evidence of a post-GST increase in the underground economy. Canadian Tax Journal/Revue Fiscale Canadienne, 41(2), 247–258.
Sutton, J., et al. (1994). The legalization of the workplace. The American Journal of Sociology, 99(4), 944–971.
Szalontai, B. (2008). The diplomacy of economic reform in Vietnam: The genesis of Doi Moi, 1986–1989. Journal of Asiatic Studies (Korea University, Asiatic Research Center), 51(2), 199–252.
Tenev, S. et al. (2003). Informality and the playing field in Vietnam’s business sector. Washington, DC: IFC, World Bank, and MPDF. www.ifc.org/wps/connect/9 aae680047adb52f9311f7752622ff02/VN-informality-playing field-VN.pdf
Tokman, V. E. (2007, June). Modernizing the informal sector. DESA Working Paper No. 42, ST/ESA/2007/DWP/42. http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2007/w42_2007.Pdf. Accessed 5 Feb 2014.
Van, T. H. (2008). Viet Nam. Asian Law Review 2008. http://apirnet.ilo.org/resources/Asian-labour-law-review-2008-vietnam. Accessed 20 May 2015.
Williams, M. C. (1992). Vietnam at the crossroads. New York: The Royal Institute of Internal Affairs, Council of Foreign Relations Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Ballano, V.O. (2016). The Government’s Attitude Toward the Informal Sector and Piracy. In: Sociological Perspectives on Media Piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-922-6_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-922-6_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-287-920-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-287-922-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)