| Danial Norjidi |
THE ARISE+IPR project was launched yesterday as its 1st Sub-Project Steering Committee Meeting was held at the Design and Technology Building in Anggerek Desa.
The project sees the European Union (EU) partnering with Asean member countries to further regional integration through enhanced management, protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), explained a press release from the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
Funded by the EU, the EUR5.5- million ARISE+IPR programme is being implemented by EUIPO, an EU agency based in Alicante, Spain.
The press release explained that through close cooperation with Asean member countries and the private sector in the next five years, the project aims to create a robust IPR system by supporting the Asean Intellectual Property (IP) offices to deliver timely, quality and accessible trademark and design services to users.
It also aims to enhance the Asean Economic Community by developing platforms and creating infrastructures; extend the Asean IP Networks and their engagement; create a regional mechanism to promote asset creation and commercialisation, focussing particularly on Geographical Indications (GI); and highlight the importance of IP for national economies and businesses.
ARISE+IPR builds on the strong cooperation developed between the EU and Asean member countries and will support Asean in reaching its goals set out in the Asean IPR Action Plan 2016-2025. The project also aims to support greater economic integration in the Asean region through the implementation of the Asean Economic Community Blueprint 2015.
The meeting saw the attendance of officials from Intellectual Property Offices from Asean as well as the EUIPO. Shahrinah binti Yusof Khan, the Director of the Brunei Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO) was among the attendees.
Dede Mia Yusanti from the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) of Indonesia and Co-chair of the ARISE+ IPR Project Steering Committee delivered opening remarks.
“Today, the Sub-PSC Meeting on IP is an excellent opportunity for us to have constructive discussions and hopefully toward the first annual plan,” she said. “We would like to reiterate Asean’s commitment towards its partnership with EUIPO as we look forward to five existing years of cooperation,” she said.
“Lastly, we would also like to extend our utmost appreciation to the EUIPO for ensuring that the proposed programmes are based on and perfectly aligned with the Asean-IPR Action Plan 2016-2025.
“With that, we look forward to this Sub-PSC Meeting and to the strengthening of our cooperation and partnership with the European Union,” she added.
Ambassador Francisco Fontan, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Asean, is quoted in the press release as saying, “Intellectual Property Right is at the heart of economic growth in modern economies in the EU and in Asean, promoting innovation, creating jobs and reinforcing competitiveness.
“The EU is proud to support this new initiative which will bring our two regions even closer through capacity building, harmonisation of standards and, ultimately, sustainable development.”
The press release goes on to share the next steps, stating that regional activities will be organised targeting Asean as a whole and aimed at promoting regional harmonisation, convergence of practice, coordination and cooperation.
ARISE+IPR continues to pursue the ‘enhanced cooperation’ approach adopted already under the previous regional IPR project.
One of the priorities of ARISE+IPR is to support Asean IP offices in their objective to improve the services they provide to users and stakeholders.
Actions foreseen include, among others, offering to interested IP offices a set of online tools that will support the creation of an Asean trademark registration system. ARISE+IPR will also look for synergies and best practices among all Asean IP offices.
This approach will contribute to increased quality in the examination of IPRs and it shall offer users and stakeholders an increased predictability on the outcome of the examination process.
The press release added that convergence alone would not suffice, hence the project will also support the IP offices in setting up common examination guidelines.
The EU and Asean have been cooperating in the field of IP for almost three decades, starting back in 1993. ARISE+IPR, launched yesterday, builds on previous projects in the field of IP such as ECAP, ECAP II and ECAP III.
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