This year has been designated the ‘Year of Geographical Indications’ by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), recognising the significance of geographical indications (GIs) for the economy, rural development and conservation of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.

To mark this occasion, the DGIP organised a forum and an exhibit on GIs as part of the Intellectual Property Expo in Jakarta held on 12 and 13 June 2024, welcoming over 600 guests at the two-day event.

On 6 and 7 June 2024, the IP Key South-East Asia project and the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam co-organised a seminar entitled ‘Promoting Creativity and Innovation: The Intellectual Property Law of Viet Nam’ and an exhibition of EU and Vietnamese geographical indications. The aim of the event was to highlight how the new IP Law of Viet Nam could drive economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of companies and product producers.

IP Key China and Beijing Anti-Infringement and Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance CAASA have consistently maintained a close partnership, focusing on EU-China intellectual property (IP) protection for e-commerce platforms. The collaboration has actively promoted communication and exchanges in internet intellectual property protection and cross-border IP enforcement between the two regions.

In recent years, China has implemented numerous legislative updates regarding trademarks and patents, including the 2023 Exposure Draft of the Trademark Law, the Implementing Rules of the Patent Law, and the Revised Patent Examination Guidelines introduced in January 2024. In light of these developments, IP Key China and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) co-organised a delegation of CNIPA experts for a mission to Europe on 11-14 June 2024.

From 14-16 May, Bogotá became the epicentre of international intellectual property debate and collaboration with three major events. Experts in the field of plant variety protection, leading judges and representatives of academic and governmental institutions gathered to discuss the challenges, opportunities and developments in this crucial area.

International Collaboration on Plant Variety Protection Event
Date: May 14, 2024

Last week, the event "Advances in Geographical Indications: Latest Trends and Global Challenges" was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Denomination of Origin (DO) of Tequila and the 30th anniversary of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila A.C. (Tequila Regulatory Council).

On 29 and 30 April 2024, IP Key SEA organised a meeting between the project team and eight judges and senior legal officials during the 5th EUIPO IP Case Law Conference (IPCLC) in Alicante, Spain. This meeting coincided with the 30th anniversary of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).