Music is a universal language, woven into every culture and deeply connected to our humanity. Even in its simplest forms – beat and sound – it has the power to move, inspire and heal.

This year, World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated annually on 26 April, embraces the theme ‘IP and Music: Feel the Beat of IP’. It acknowledges music as a global form of creative expression while underscoring the importance of protecting artists’ rights and fostering their talent.

This activity will serve as the closing event of the IP Key SEA Project. The conference will focus on the future of IPRs and issues that impact their protection and enforcement, especially in the SEA region. The activity will showcase the positive impact and achievements of the project on the state of IPR protection and enforcement in SEA and will highlight the continued strong support and cooperation of the EU with the SEA countries.

Through this activity, the IP Key SEA Phase II project will continue to participate in major IPR events such as IP Fairs, IP contests and the World IP Day event organised by relevant stakeholders in SEA as a means of promoting increased visibility of the project and its activities, as well as to touch base with the project's stakeholders and cooperation partners.

This campaign will involve a series of regularly published content on the project’s social media channels, localised audio-visual materials for target countries, press relations activities and content co-created and published by prominent online media outlets in SEA countries, preferably in local languages.

This activity will continue the progressive approach adopted in Phase I of the IP Key SEA project that advocates for the adoption of voluntary agreements or Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between intermediaries, service providers and IPR owners in SEA. These agreements will be supervised by national IP authorities as a means to reinforce the fight against counterfeiting and piracy in both online and offline environments.

This activity aims to establish a platform for closer coordination between EU and SEA law enforcement authorities, specifically customs authorities, to adopt international best practices in detecting and detaining IP- infringing goods at the borders. It will also raise awareness about the latest modus operandi and methods adopted by infringers in cross-border trafficking. The workshop will not only share global best practices but also enhance coordination between relevant authorities and customs officials in combating IP crimes.

This activity will continue the project’s efforts to promote adequate and effective GI protection in the SEA region. The conference will cover issues relating to the protection and enforcement of GIs and will showcase positive impact of a strong GI protection system, including the promotion of domestic and international tourism through GI products.

This activity involves organising workshops to promote the convergence of practices and exchange information on key issues affecting EU businesses operating in SEA. Topics include the benefits of adequate and effective protection, procedures for the filing of applications and international standards and best practices in the processing of applications for industrial designs protection.

This activity involves organising workshops to promote the convergence of practices and exchange information on key issues affecting EU businesses operating in SEA. Topics include bad faith applications, protection of well-known marks and the impact of new technologies on the examination of trade mark applications.