Today marks a significant milestone as ASEAN, in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), unveils the ASEAN Intellectual Property (IP) Register. This groundbreaking initiative, powered by an advanced information exchange system, introduces the ASEAN IP Register as an all-encompassing IP information hub. This dynamic platform integrates up-to-the-minute IP data from all ten ASEAN Member States, meticulously curated by WIPO. By doing so, it offers a unified gateway for stakeholders to seamlessly conduct patent, trademark, and design searches.
During the launch event, WIPO's Director General, Daren Tang, lauded ASEAN's remarkable strides in its journey towards the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). This journey is notably propelled by technological advancements and IP-driven innovation. Tang reaffirmed WIPO's unwavering commitment to collaborating with ASEAN, creating a fertile environment for intellectual property. This environment empowers entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators to harness their intangible assets as commercial opportunities within a thriving regional IP ecosystem. The ASEAN IP Register stands as a testament to WIPO's numerous technical endeavors aimed at providing ASEAN businesses and innovators access to top-tier IP services. It heralds a fresh strategy and approach to IP commercialization within the ASEAN region.
WIPO's statistics for 2022 reveal ASEAN's remarkable surge in IP applications. Over the span of a decade, from 2012 to 2022, even amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, patent and industrial design applications have surged by 70% and 80%, respectively. Concurrently, trademark applications have witnessed an astounding growth of 110%. As a result, the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2023 has projected that the market value of ASEAN's foremost brands has surpassed an impressive $250 billion USD. This substantial increase underscores the escalating value of ASEAN's intangible assets.
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, expressed profound gratitude to Director General Daren Tang and WIPO for their invaluable support. He advocated for further robust collaboration between ASEAN and WIPO, utilizing the ASEAN IP Register to elevate the region into a Hub of Excellence in Intellectual Property.
Source and credit photo: ASEAN website