Outcomes of the Second Japan-ASEAN Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Meeting held in Singapore (July 2012)

On July 11, 2012, the Second ASEAN-Japan Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Meeting was held in Singapore, and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and ASEAN IP Offices concluded a memorandum of cooperation on intellectual property. Based on this memorandum, the JPO will further develop cooperation with ASEAN IP Offices in the field of intellectual property, by providing support for human resources development and introduction of IT, accession to international treaties on trademarks and industrial designs, and implementation of anti-counterfeit measures through raising public awareness of intellectual property protection.

1. Background

As ASEAN countries have been showing remarkable economic growth in recent years, it is expected that there will be an increase in demand for high-quality and high value-added products and services in these countries, as a result of expansion of the middle to high-income groups. Meanwhile, ASEAN is seeking to build a community aimed at liberalizing intraregional economic activities in 2015. It is highly likely that the ASEAN region will become an economic area of great importance for Japan. Under such circumstances, it has become urgent to improve these countries' industrial property systems and their operations, which will serve as an important infrastructure to facilitate trade and investment.

The JPO has been strengthening its cooperation on IP for the emerging countries in Asia to support Japanese companies in expanding global business activities. In February 2012, the First ASEAN-Japan Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Meeting was held in Tokyo under Japanese leadership and they confirmed that strengthening IP protection in ASEAN countries was essential to achieve further economic growth toward the goal of realizing economic integration in 2015 and Japan would continue to cooperate. Holding the second meeting in July in Singapore was also agreed there.

2. Conclusion of a memorandum of cooperation on intellectual property between the JPO and ASEAN IP Offices

On July 11, 2012, the Second ASEAN-Japan Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Meeting was held in Singapore, and the JPO and ASEAN IP Offices concluded a memorandum of cooperation on intellectual property.

Specific cooperation items included in the memorandum are as follows:

• Exchange of experience in and knowledge on industrial property policies, and improvement of systems for protecting IP, including revision to laws (statutes and case laws), regulations, and manuals, in accordance with international standards
• Sharing of examination workload on an international level, exchange of experience in and knowledge on examination quality control and training for examiners, and transparent and streamlined examination procedures and operations (including sharing of statistical data), in accordance with domestic legislations of the respective countries
• Improvement of industrial property administration, including exchange of experience in administrative management as well as information technology infrastructure/system management.
• Promotion of the use of industrial property in the private sector, including SMEs
• Exchange of information and cooperation regarding appropriate measures to increase the public awareness of industrial property
• Cooperation in human resource development to improve capabilities of personnel of ASEAN IP Offices

The memorandum of cooperation is expected to contribute to increasing transparency and efficiency in industrial property systems and examination procedures, improving these systems and their operation, promoting the use of industrial property rights, and raising public awareness of IP in ASEAN countries.

At this meeting, the JPO and ASEAN IP Offices adopted ASEAN IPOs - JPO IPR Action Plan 2012-2013, which specifies the details of cooperation based on the memorandum, such support as human resource development and introduction of IT, accession to international treaties on trademarks and industrial designs, and implementation of anti-counterfeit measures through raising public awareness of intellectual property. They also discussed the future action plan regarding IP cooperation.

The JPO will continuously strengthen cooperation with emerging countries including ASEAN member states in the field of IP and will make efforts in supporting global business activities of Japanese companies.

JPO Commissioner with Heads of the ASEAN IP Offices

[Last updated 16 February 2024]

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