European Chambers in Asia united to fight IPR infringements

As EU-Asian trade relations continue to flourish, the onus on developing adequate long-term IPR protection strategies is not only essential in the long term integration of Asian countries into the global trading system, but also in decreasing investors’ concerns of IPR violations. Indeed, given the recent trends, improving IPR protection is not only of serious concern to the region itself, but also a global priority.

The European Chambers in Asia have joined forces and applied for a grant from the European Commission to carry out a 2-year project, which is aimed at continuing recent efforts in creating a region-wide IPR dialogue so as to further enhance both European and Asian understanding of the situation. Through institutional European Business Organisations (EBOs) capacity building based on regional research initiatives as well as the creation of an inter-regional network for information exchange, this action aims to provide relevant stakeholders in Asia with unprecedented levels of regional IPR-related knowledge. Furthermore, it will mark an important step in the realisation of an Asian IP friendly community.

The key partners of this project aim to capitalise on the capacity and scope of EBOs in Asia to establish and implement region-wide research initiatives that will provide both political and commercial organisations in Europe and Asia with an improved understanding of IPR-related regulatory, enforcement and border control conditions throughout the region. This initiative aims to provide relevant authorities with an unprecedented overall understanding of the size and nature of the IPR problem in the Asian region. Enhanced data collection and analysis will form the backbone of the project aiming to provide EBOs as well as both European and Asian regional authorities with an improved diagnosis tool capable of identifying key areas for focus in EU-Asia IP related dialogues.

Key Partners

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) shall ensure the overall success of the project. The EUCCC is in charge of coordinating the research strategies and directing the sharing of activities.

EUKICA, the European liaison office of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) is in charge of the creation and maintenance of the IPR project website and newsletter.

European Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (EuroCham) shall provide research and logistical support in implementing research and seminar coordination for this IPR project.

Information of the legislative framework and recent actions from Malaysia will be provided by EUMCCI.

Objectives of the project: capacity-building and information collection:

• Adapt and focus the lobbying actions of EBOs and the EU Commission through acquiring an in depth understanding of the regulatory environment of IPR protection in the regions and by assessing and measuring the performance of Asian countries in their enforcement of such regulatory framework.
• Conduct a systematic and comparative study of Asian IPR related laws and regulations
• Implement a process for the region-wide diagnosis and measurement of enforcement as well as border control performances in order to define the size and nature of IPR issues in Asia.
• Assist local authorities in identifying shortcomings in their legal and regulatory frameworks for IPR protection
• Enhance the professionalism and experience of each EBO’s IPR coordinator/Working Group thus ensuring the long-term continuation of IPR protection promotion activities
• Draw on the experiences of larger more developed EBOs to assist in the development of smaller EBOs so that a comprehensive structure can be set in place to facilitate regional IPR protection activities
• Create a virtual platform for information, knowledge and expertise exchange, providing all key stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of regional IPR issues.

EUMCCI members can also provide with data and articles related to IPR. More information: www.iprasia.org