Through contributions from experts within the IP field and the project team members, the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk blog discusses IP developments in South-east Asia and how these affect European companies. We provide practical information on how you can develop your business’ IP strategy with simple, cost-effective measures.

Guest article from Abacus IP - 20 Years of Patent Law in Cambodia: Milestones and Future Outlook
Last month marked the 20th anniversary of the Cambodian patent system. Such major milestones are an opportunity to look back on how the law and practice have developed, and discuss what changes we might expect in the decades to come.

Guest article from EuroCham Myanmar: The transformation of Myanmar’s intellectual property (IP) system - What’s in store for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
The year 2019 was a milestone for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) in Myanmar as four laws were enacted: the Trademark Law , the Industrial Design Law , the Patent Law and the Copyright Law (the IP Laws).

Intellectual property (IP) is key to expanding to or within South-East Asia (SEA)
The EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN[1]) are two dynamic regions that have built a strong trading and economic relationship over 45 years of cooperation. The EU is ASEAN’s third-largest trading partner...

Guest article from EuroCham Malaysia (IPR Committee): Updates on patent waivers and recent World Trade Organization (WTO) decisions – where are we now?
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the issue of patents and patent waivers into the global spotlight. It was one of the most pressing issues on the agenda at the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva (12–17 June 2022), and was also discussed extensively in the press in many countries...

Guest article from S&O IP: The 2021/2022 Intellectual Property (Amendment) Bill was passed in Viet Nam
On 16th June 2022, the Intellectual Property Amendment Bill (“Bill”) was passed before the National Assembly of Viet Nam.

How to overcome a trademark refusal in Vietnam?
In the Global Innovation Index 2021 (a yearly report published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) providing data, analysis, and trends related to innovation), Vietnam ranked 44th out of 132 countries and economies...

Commercialisation of your intellectual property (IP) in South-East Asia
South-East Asia is a thriving market with the fifth largest economy in the world (a combined GDP of USD 3 trillion in 2020) and 661.8 million people (the third largest population in the world after China and India) . The region has witnessed comprehe...

Counterfeits in Indonesia and recommendations for brand owners
Indonesia is a promising market in the South-East Asian region, with a population of over 273 million, making it the fourth most populous country in the world . Being located near China – known as the world’s largest producer of counterfeits – Indonesia is one of the biggest destination markets...

Intellectual property (IP) in Indonesia: What should EU businesses know?
Indonesia is the largest economy in the South-East Asian region. It accounts for about one-third of the region's GDP and has the largest population with 270 million people in 2020.

Counterfeit goods in South-East Asia: Saving money may risk your health
Over recent decades, counterfeiting has been causing serious harm, not only to the global economy but also to consumer health and safety. The huge, quickly generated profits made from illicit trading (comprising counterfeiting activities) has encouraged counterfeiters to find new ways to evade the..

Protecting SMEs: the drivers of global economic growth
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in driving economic growth across the globe, stimulating development, innovation, and competitiveness. According to the World Bank, in emerging markets SMEs generate 7 out of 10 jobs and contribute up to 40 % of national income.

Trade mark search: Why it is important and how to conduct it properly
Trade marks (brands) represent one of the principal assets of a company. Trade mark is crucial to your success because it allows clients and consumers to easily identify and find products and services. Protection comes with a price, and startups and SMEs often have limited budgets.

L’accord de libre-échange entre le Vietnam et l’Union Européenne (EVFTA) et la protection de la propriété intellectuelle (PI) : ce que les PMEs européennes doivent savoir
Le Vietnam est une économie florissante avec un PIB de 340,821 milliards USD - le pays se place en quatrième position en Asie du Sud-Est...

The EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and intellectual property (IP) protection: What EU SMEs should know
Vietnam is a thriving economy with a GDP of USD 340.821 billion – the fourth biggest in South-East Asia (after Indonesia, Thailand, and the Phili...

Intellectual property protection in the e-commerce era: What has changed recently in South-East Asia?
Over the past few years, South-East Asia (SEA) has witnessed a huge shift to, and booming expansion in, online shopping platforms. As a result, counterfeiters have also quickly adapted to the new trade environment, making large profits by flooding the digital marketplace with a huge amount of counte

Online services of intellectual property offices in South-East Asia
Digitalisation has changed the way intellectual property (IP) offices operate, and made them more effective. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when many IP offices were physically closed, online systems played an essential role. Thanks to this, filing and processing services avoided disruption.

Protecting your intellectual property during technology transfers in South-East Asia: Why is it important?
The South-East Asian region consists of 10 countries with a combined GDP of USD 3 trillion (the 5th largest in the world) and a population of...
Intellectual property violation in Thailand and the Philippines thriving during Covid-19
Due to the social distancing measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, people are massively relying on the internet for both their work and...

Cybersquatting in South-East Asia: What’s happening now?
In 2005, when eBay Inc. started promoting their services online in Vietnam, they found that the domain name ebay.com.vn

Changing perspective: why you should never underestimate trade secrets’ power
If you heard about a threat that had already caused a loss of EUR 60 billion in economic growth and almost 289 000 jobs in Europe alone

Supply Chain Relocation and Intellectual Property Protection after COVID-19: Why Vietnam and What to Watch Out For?
The global economy has recently witnessed unprecedented blows due to the US–China trade war and COVID-19.

IP exploitation strategy in South-East Asia
In these changing times, we all need to find the time to prepare for the future and draft our strategy for success.

The role of Intellectual Property in the development of a green future in the ASEAN countries
The COVID-19 pandemic hitting the entire world has provided big challenges for 2020.
COVID-19 and overwhelming amounts of counterfeits online: What businesses should do — right away!
According to an update from the World Health Organization (WHO), by 15 April 2020 the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had already infected 1 918 138

EU–Singapore FTA: Highlight of improvements on intellectual property
Singapore and the EU are key trading partners. The EU is Singapore’s third-largest trading partner in goods, accounting for 10 % of its total trade

Online IP Infringement in South-East Asia: How to protect your business
The South-East Asian internet economy has witnessed a striking increase

EUIPO: New Image Recognition Technology in Design and Trade Mark Search
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has implemented a new artificial intelligence solution to allows its users to carry out image