The IP Key South-East Asia (SEA) Project welcomed participants to join the virtual “Conference on Trade Marks and Industrial Designs” on 10 and 11 February 2022. The Conference covered various topics of interest on trademarks and industrial designs, such as the impact of the pandemic on filings and IP office operations in SEA and the future of trademarks and designs in the light of technological advances and global challenges.

The IP Key South-East Asia project invited the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) stakeholders to the ‘Workshop on Geographical Indications for the Philippines’, as part of the technical support provided to SEA Countries in the enhancement of the GI system. This event was by invitation only.

IP Key SEA hosted ‘South-East Asia Conference on Collective Rights Management’ on 2 and 3 December 2021. The conference aimed to establish a platform of cooperation between the collective rights management organisations (CMOs) of the EU and national CMOs operating in the SEA countries. During the conference, EU and international best practices on the establishment, operation, and regulation of CMOs were shared, with a view to enhancing their transparency, accountability, and good governance.

‘Workshops on Advanced Prosecution for Patent Examiners’ were implemented in partnership with the European Patent Office (EPO) sought to continue sharing with the SEA patent offices the European best practices, procedures, tools, and databases in the prosecution of patent applications, to enable the SEA patent examiners to process patent applications in a manner consistent with international standards and with enhanced quality of results. The workshop targeting Malaysia took place during 29 November and 2 December 2021.

On 24 and 25 November 2021, IP Key SEA organised ‘Webinar for EU IPR Owners and Legal Practitioners on IPR Mediation in South-East Asia’. The webinar aimed to promote the use of IP mediation mechanisms as a viable alternative means of dispute resolution among the IPR owners and businesses operating in SEA. It sought to familiarize IPR stakeholders with the IP mediation procedures and requirements in each of the SEA countries, in order to encourage them to avail of such remedies that may facilitate the more expeditious resolution of IP cases.

IP Key SEA organised ‘Workshop for SEA Law Enforcement Authorities on the Identification of Counterfeit Goods’ on 28 and 29 October 2021. The workshop aimed to establish a platform for closer coordination between IPR owners and businesses operating in SEA and IP and law enforcement authorities in terms of the identification of infringing goods being traded in the markets, whether at customs entry points, inland, or in transit.

IP Key South-East Asia (SEA) Project organised ‘Technical Meeting on Voluntary Collaboration Agreements Between IPR Owners and ISPs’ on 8 and 9 November 2021. The technical meetings aimed to continue to raise awareness about the important role of intermediary service providers (ISPs), such as e-commerce and social media platforms, in the protection and enforcement of IP rights in the online environment.

Following the conclusion of Free Trade Agreements with Singapore and Viet Nam, the IP Key SEA Action will provide support and assistance for the implementation of the IPR-related commitments undertaken by the SEA countries. To define specific activities, consultations will be conducted with the relevant government agencies and stakeholders. Indicative activities include studies, seminars, and peer-to-peer meetings that would identify the needs of SEA countries and facilitate the implementation of their FTA commitments.