IPR Protection for the Chemical industry in Malaysia

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” »

IP Considerations for ICT Industry in South-East Asia

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The ICT sector is considered to play a pivotal role in supporting regional integration and connectivity efforts between the countries in South-East Asia. The latest ASEAN ICT Industry Masterplan 2016-2020 aims to propel ASEAN towards a digitally-enabled economy that is secure, sustainable, and transformative and to enable an innovative, inclusive and integrated ASEAN Community[1]. The ICT industry is one of the sectors presenting major business growth opportunities for EU SMEs in South-East Asia.

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IP Protection for the Tourism Industry in Malaysia

tourism in MalaysiaThe first warm days of the fast-approaching spring bring along with them the desire to travel and discover new places. Many European SMEs are also  thinking about setting up their own businesses within the tourism industry in South-East Asia and particularly in Malaysia, where the tourism industry is rapidly growing. In today’s blog post we are, therefore, taking a closer look at IP protection in  the tourism industry, focusing on brand protection – the cornerstone of IP protection in the tourism industry- and the protection of internet domain names.  

Underpinned by Malaysian government’s dedication of making tourism the cornerstone of its long-term economic planning, the tourism sector is booming in Malaysia. This year, the tourism sector is expected to bring in more than EUR 22 billion, which signifies an increase of nearly 70% on 2012 levels.[1] As the government is expected to further augment tourism-related funds in coming years, plenty of business opportunities will arise for the European SMEs in Malaysian tourism sector.

SMEs engaged in tourism need to pay special attention to protecting their intellectual property (IP) rights, because IP infringements are still relatively common in Malaysia. IP rights are a key factor for business success and neglecting to register them in Malaysia could easily end SMEs’ business endeavor in the country. Thus, a robust IPR strategy is needed, when entering the lucrative market of Malaysia.  Continue reading “IP Protection for the Tourism Industry in Malaysia” »

IP Protection for the Food & Beverages Industry in Malaysia

fb-ip-protectionIn today’s blog post we are taking a look at the IP protection in Malaysia for the food and beverages sector. The F&B sector in Malaysia is rapidly growing,  but so are counterfeiting and other IP infringements. This blog post gives some advice to European SMEs on how to build a robust IP protection strategy in Malaysia for the food and beverages sector.  

Malaysia’s food & beverage industry is growing rapidly, with the revenue of over 25 billion EUR in 2015 and with an annual growth rate of 7.6%,[1] making the country thus attractive for European SMEs.

Malaysia has a large Muslim population and has, thus strong consumer demand for imported beef, mutton and other halal products.  This means that importers should be aware of that all slaughtered food must possess halal certification and adhere to specific labelling requirements.

Malaysia’s rapidly growing middle class constitutes a consumer base that is increasingly health-conscious, pays attention to the nutrition value of the food, prefers minimally processed fresh food and tends to trust foreign (western) brands when it comes to packaged food.

Together with rapid economic growth, counterfeiting in food products has also increased dramatically in recent years. Thus, the EU SMEs should take steps to ensure that their IP rights are protected, when selling their food products to Malaysia.

IPR are very relevant in the food & beverage industry, such as Trade Marks, Geographical Indications, Design and Trade Secrets.

Trade Mark Protection in Malaysia

Increasing brand consciousness, concerns about food safety and the relatively high number of counterfeiting in the country mean that brand reputation is especially important in Malaysia. A trustworthy brand can be critical to the success of food & beverage products as company’s trade mark functions as a badge of quality. Continue reading “IP Protection for the Food & Beverages Industry in Malaysia” »

South-East Asia IPR Basics Series: Malaysia, the ASEAN Economic Community, the TPP, and Intellectual Property

shutterstock_30496642_sMalaysia is a South-East Asian nation consisting of sections on the Malay Peninsula and on the island of Borneo, with the South China Sea lying between them. Malaysia’s population of over 30 million works in the world’s 20th most competitive economy (as of 2014-15), with a PPP GDP of $747 billion, making it the third largest in ASEAN and the 28th largest worldwide. Malaysia’s newly-industrialised market economy has consistently posted impressive gains, averaging 6.5% growth per annum over the period 1957-2005.

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