South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk

🔔 WIPO reports 275,900 PCT filings in 2025 (+0.7%), driven by AI and digital tech. ICT dominates, semiconductors grow fast, EU countries rank high, and firms increasingly prioritize patents amid global digital innovation competition. ➡️ ow.ly/5q0o50YGWuJ

📢 [News] Update from WIPO: New individual fees (in CHF) now apply for trademarks designating the Philippines under the Madrid System, covering applications, subsequent designations & renewals. Read full here ➡️ wipo.int/documents/d/ma… #Trademarks #MadridSystem #WIPO

🌟 Back-to-back trade fairs in HCMC Food & Hospitality Vietnam (24-26 Mar) – Culinary & hospitality innovations PROPAK Vietnam (31 Mar-2 Apr) – Packaging, processing & automation A big thank you to the organisers, companies & exhibitors for sharing insights and time with us.

📢[News] Indonesia Speeds Up TM Examination Indonesia’s Ministry of Law Regulation No. 5 of 2026 speeds up TM reg., allowing straightforward applications without opposition to be registered in about 3 months while streamlining examination procedures. ➡️ tilleke.com/insights/indon…

📢[News] Preregistration Strategies for Safeguarding TMs in Myanmar Myanmar’s TM backlog leaves many applications pending. Brand owners should monitor filings, gather evidence of use & prepare enforcement strategies to protect rights before reg. ➡️ ow.ly/Qupe50YuEhE

📢[News] Intl. Patent Applications Rose in 2025 Intl. filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty at the WIPO rose 0.7% in 2025. Digital communication led filings, while semiconductor patents grew quickly, reflecting resilient global innovation. ➡️ wipo.int/pressroom/en/a…

📢 Software licensing is a key revenue source. EU SMEs entering South-East Asia can license software to local partners to build market presence, though legal recognition of licences varies across countries. ➡️ ow.ly/4NiH50YuAqv

📢[News] Cambodia unveils dedicated GI database Cambodia launched a GI database in its Digital IP Hub, creating the 1st centralised record of registered GIs. It improves transparency and may boost GI registrations, exports & origin-based local brands. ➡️ asiaiplaw.com/section/news-a…

🔔 In 2026, Drew Barrymore was sued by Instinct GmbH for using the song You Make Me Happy (Acoustic version) in a commercial Instagram post without a sync license. The unresolved case highlights the need for proper music licensing on social media. ➡️ ow.ly/Styb50YsfB5

📢 Copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. Ideas & concepts are not automatically protected, and single words are generally not considered literary works eligible for copyright protection, an important distinction for SMEs. ➡️instagram.com/p/DVvaTdvkpFs/…

🔔 The 2026 IPOPHL PCT Filing Assistance Program offers fee exemptions & support for international patent applications. It is open to Filipino inventors & foreign applicants filing first with IPOPHL, helping SMEs seek protection in up to 158 countries. ➡️ ow.ly/h0Co50Ysfub

📢 Industrial design protection in SEA gives owners exclusive rights to stop others from commercially using their designs. As these rights are territorial, businesses must carefully choose where to register designs to maximise commercial opportunities. ➡️ ow.ly/T7Qq50Ypue6

🔐 When entering new markets, businesses should consider licensing IP as a low-risk strategy. Careful partner selection, enforceable licence or franchise agreements, and compliance with local recording requirements are essential. ➡️ ow.ly/TCtP50YprYl

✨ 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! ✨ Wishing you a joyful and prosperous Lunar New Year 2026 from all of us at the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk. May the year ahead bring you good health, happiness, success, and new opportunities! #SEAHelpdesk

🔔 UKIPO Practice Amendment Notice 1/25 (effective 27 June 2025) increases scrutiny of overly broad trademark applications, allowing bad-faith objections where genuine intent to use is lacking, promoting a fairer and more accurate registry. ➡️ ow.ly/7RZ350YeZvi

🔐 The AEC allows free movement of goods, but lacks regional IP rights. Businesses must register IP separately in each country and rely on national laws, as goods can circulate freely after one customs entry. ➡️ ow.ly/4CbR50Yee38

🎙️ From policy to practice: IP in the Philippines through the eyes of an expert Meet Michele Elio De Tullio, an Italian IP lawyer & TM attorney with 30+ yrs’ experience, supporting EUSMEs in protecting & enforcing IP across SEA, particularly in the PH. ➡️ow.ly/48wC50YecKj

🔔 WIPO-VN cooperation has strengthened VN’s IP ecosystem through digitisation, training & IP strategies, improving innovation performance. Ongoing support via international IP systems & capacity building aims to turn innovation into concrete outcomes. ➡️ ow.ly/InIH50YecHh

🔐 Domain name registration rules in SEA vary from open access to requiring local presence. Unrestricted TLDs risk 3rd parties registering company names or TMs, leading to online threats: counterfeiting, phishing, false affiliation & traffic diversion. ➡️ ow.ly/UU9a50Y9bWr

🚨 Did you know that your domain name is a key business asset and plays a pivotal role in the IP strategy? This new infographic highlights what EU SMEs should do to protect domain names, as part of their broader IP protection efforts in SEA. ➡️ ow.ly/uPUt50Y8FJY