The pace and patterns of human interactions have changed significantly in the last decade.  This is due largely to the globalization of trade and capital flows and to rapid technological advances – especially those in information processing, telecommunications, transportation, bio-engineering, medical and pharmaceutical sciences, and the new materials sciences. 

In similar manner, matters relating to intellectual property (IP) and intellectual property rights (IPRs) have come to the fore both in form and in substance.  As such, they are bound to exert a profound, multi-dimensional influence on many sectors and industries, and hence on the overall development process and development policy in developing countries.  In addition, the nature and intensity of such an influence do change along with the changing conditions and circumstances at various stages of socio-economic development and transformation among interdependent economies and, by extension, among business enterprises and communities of people across the world. 

ASEAN Member Countries are fully aware of the importance of the IPRs.  They have worked together in enhancing IPR protection, in fostering a common ASEAN IPR roadmap and identity, and in creating lasting awareness among stakeholders and the general public.  The ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (WGIPR) has contributed to all these efforts. 

The Expert Group on Trademarks continued its work on the establishment of a regional filing system on trademarks.  Among the significant issues under consideration are those relating to the regional harmonization of trademark laws and regulations, and related procedures.  Moreover, the Expert Group on Patents is exploring the possibilities of establishing an ASEAN Design System. 

Efforts to improve the IP policy framework include monitoring the conformance of Member Countries’ IP legislation to the TRIPS Agreement; consolidation of listing of patent and law enforcement agencies for networking purposes among the Member Countries; simplification of IP administration systems, plus the strengthening of procedures and remedies against IPR infringements; and regular exchange of IP policy experiences.  Promotion of greater public IP awareness has also been undertaken.

In collaboration with some ASEAN dialogue partners and donor organizations, several training workshops and policy seminars in the field of IP were held aimed at human resource development and institutional and policy capacity building.  They were carried out under the auspices of ASEAN-EC and ASEAN-WIPO cooperation.