ASEAN Collaborates with WIPO to Launch IP Register

On the 20^th of August 2023, ASEAN in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) officially launched the ASEAN Intellectual Property (IP) Register. The purpose of the ASEAN IP Register is to establish a one-stop IP information portal that will incorporate latest IP data from all 10 ASEAN Member States maintained by WIPO. Through a single portal, stakeholders are able to easily access complete sets of ASEAN IP data in order to conduct patent, trademark and design searches. The database can be accessed through the website of the ASEAN IP Portal, which also provides additional useful services such as the ASEAN GI Database and the ASEAN IP Case Law.

Before the launch of the ASEAN IP Register, those conducting IP searches would mainly use the official database of the relevant Registry of each individual ASEAN member state, WIPO’S Patentscope, WIPO’s Global Brand Database or Madrid Monitor. Although information via these resources are easily accessible where international registrations are concerned, for national IP applications however, it is important to acknowledge that Patentscope or the Global Brand Database might not consistently include details about relevant ASEAN national applications. In such cases, individuals would be required to rely on the database of respective ASEAN Registry to conduct the searches. As such, difficulties arise as not all the ASEAN countries’ Registry databases are available in English or are able to be searched online.

The introduction of the ASEAN IP Register which centralizes up-to-date intellectual property information from the 10 ASEAN member states would lessen the time and effort needed to conduct patent, trademark and design searches, which would potentially encourage more individuals within the 10 ASEAN member states to obtain patent, trademark or design protection.

Based on WIPO statistics in 2022, there was a significant growth in IP applications within the ASEAN region. Despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, patent and industrial design applications increased by 70% and 80% respectively between 2012 and 2022. Similarly, trademark applications saw a growth of 110%. As a result, the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2023 predicted that the market value of ASEAN’s top brands would exceed $250 billion USD, highlighting the increasing worth of ASEAN’s intangible assets.

The ASEAN IP Registry, along with various other technical projects by WIPO, offers ASEAN businesses and innovators access to high-quality IP services globally, developing a new strategy and method for IP commercialization within the ASEAN region. As such, IP applications within the ASEAN region would likely see a greater increase in the coming years.

Conducting a thorough search is crucial for a patent, trademark or design application. Ensuring that all relevant aspects are taken into consideration during the search process is no simple task, it is best to seek experienced IP practitioners to assist in conducting the search.

Contact Pintas IP Group today to get expert advice on your patent, trademark or design application.