Tag Archives: Business

Most Common IP Problems when Operating Internationally: Focus on South-East Asia

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copyright page 4South-East Asia has become an increasingly popular destination for the European SMEs as the rapid economic development in the region has created many promising business opportunities for European SMEs. Even though many South-east Asian countries have good IP laws and regulations in place, counterfeiting and other IP violations are still commonplace in the region. In today’s blog post the South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk addresses the most common IP issues that European SMEs encounter when expanding their business to South-East Asian countries. 

Underpinned by the fast development, South-East Asia is offering many business opportunities for European SMEs. At the same time, a clear vision of an IP strategy in South-East Asia can impact a company’s growth and prevent loss of revenue further down the road. Taking the time to collect IP information on local practice can help SMEs exploit opportunities or avoid pitfalls by taking informed decisions in a new market. During the latest International Helpdesks Annual Stakeholders Meeting in Brussels, IP experts discussed main IP related challenges in South-East Asia. This article summarizes main take-away messages for SMEs wishing to start a business in South-East Asia. EU SMEs are always welcome to use the Helpdesk’s enquiry helpline to receive first-line advice tailored to their needs, says Valentina Salmoiraghi, IP Business Advisor of the Helpdesk. Continue reading “Most Common IP Problems when Operating Internationally: Focus on South-East Asia” »

IPR Protection for the Chemical industry in Malaysia

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Chemist Writing Molecular DiagramThe chemical industry in Malaysia has recently caught the interest of many European SMEs as the industry offers several promising business opportunities for the European companies. Since counterfeiting and other IP violations are still commonplace in Malaysia, South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk has decided to address the issue of IP protection in Malaysia in today’s blog post, focusing especially on the chemical industry. 

Malaysia’s chemical industry

Malaysia’s chemical trade with the European Union, excluding pharmaceuticals, reached 1.19 billion euros in 2015, equalling 8.4% of all EU exports to Malaysia. Chemical imports into the EU reached 1.03 billion euros, a total of 5.3% of all EU imports from Malaysia[1]. The chemical industry feeds into most of Malaysia’s other major industries, including automotive parts, electronics, and construction equipment, and is dominated by petrochemicals (43.6%, with major exports consisting of polymers of ethylene in other forms, methanol, and saturated polyesters in primary forms) and oleo-chemicals (21.9%, with major exports consisting of industrial fatty alcohols, palm fatty acid distillates, stearic acid, soap noodles, and acetic acid)[2]. Major chemical production centres include dedicated zones in Gebeng, Kertih, Pasir Gudang, and Pengerang. Continue reading “IPR Protection for the Chemical industry in Malaysia” »

Patent Strategies for Startups

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Today’s Post will focus on Patent Strategies for Startups in South-East Asia and has been kindly drafted for us by Ms. Chan Wai Yeng who is a patent specialist at Taylor Vinters Via LLC. Ms. Chan Wai Yeng will explore three patent strategies and several alternatives to ensure your product is best protected.

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Startups generally worry that acquiring a patent is prohibitively expensive

As discussed in the first patent article, the cost of patenting is high and generally several order of magnitudes higher than the cost of acquiring other IP rights such as trade mark and industrial design rights.

A cohesive patent strategy can yield significant competitive advantage

The high level of financial investment involved in patent filing may deter startups from developing a comprehensive IP strategy that includes patent filings at its initial development stage. However, startups with a cohesive patent strategy that aligns with their business can benefit from gaining a strong competitive advantage in the market. Having a patent filing strategy can also mitigate litigation risks from competitors.

Continue reading “Patent Strategies for Startups” »

Design Patents and Utility Models in China: Know Before You Go

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In today’s blog-post, we will look into the relevance of Design Patents and Utility Models for European SMEs in China. China remains among the top destinations for any business looking to internationalise, and the business environment there is still evolving in terms of both production and consumption. Its growing capacity to produce sophisticated manufactures and complex services is matched by an increasingly affluent domestic consumer base that demands state-of-the-art, internationally popular brands and products.

Patent Pending

Although stories of Chinese counterfeits and brand infringements are still regular news in international media, the IPR system in China has seen considerable development in the last decade. This is propelled to a large extent by domestic industries innovating like never before and keen to protect their new technologies, and also those trying their chances with as many IPR filings as possible in order to improve their status or satisfy local government innovation drives. Whatever the reason, the number of patent applications shows the trend clearly: a 20.5% year-on-year increase for 2015 to more than 1,124,000 applications. Also, foreign patent applications are increasing fast, boasting a 14.9% year-on-year increase for 2015.

Continue reading “Design Patents and Utility Models in China: Know Before You Go” »

Booming ICT Market in Thailand – Some IP Considerations for the European SMEs

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In today’s blog post, we will dive into IPR protection in the ICT Sector in Thailand: Thailand is currently the second largest buyer of ICT products and services in the ASEAN region and its ICT market is expected to grow at a fast pace in the near future, propelled by increased consumption and urbanisation, as well as the growing middle class.[1] Underpinned by the Thai Government’s new Digital Economy Policy, aiming to develop hard and soft digital infrastructure across the country and modernizing the economy through digitalization, Thailand is expected to offer many promising business opportunities for European SMEs.

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Continue reading “Booming ICT Market in Thailand – Some IP Considerations for the European SMEs” »