Tag Archives: Patents

IP Protection in South-East Asia for the Textile Industry

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towels-1511875_1920In today’s blog post, we are taking a closer look at IP protection in South-East Asia’s  textile industry, which is developing fast and offering many opportunities to European SMEs. You will learn how to protect your newest fabrics, your textile machinery or your brand in South-East Asia. 

Textile industry in South-East Asia offers many promising business opportunities to European SMEs as garments are one of ASEAN’s largest export articles and textile industry is still growing in the majority of South-East Asian countries with fastest growth rates registered in Vietnam and Cambodia. Furthermore, Thailand that has traditionally been strong in textile manufacturing has now set its sights on becoming a fashion hub for the ASEAN region as its textile and garment exports to other ASEAN countries have been steadily growing for the past few years. Similarly, Indonesian government is committed to preparing several incentives in a bid to boost the textile sector and making Indonesia one of the top five global textile exporters.[1]

South-East Asia has been the production hub for many European companies that would then export apparel and accessories back to the European Market. At the same time South-East Asia also offers market opportunities for European products as European design is becoming more well-known in the region.  Singapore for example has become Asia’s second fashion capital, offering a variety of high-end international brands.[2] As Asian consumers are becoming more affluent and cities like Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur are becoming more established in the fashion world, there will be more opportunities to European SMEs in the region.

At the same time, South-East Asia’s textile industry is both an opportunity and threat to European businesses. It can be a major market for those supplying production technologies and on one of the key supply bases for textiles and finished goods. However, foreign technologies and brands that are not adequately protected often fall victim to counterfeiting and other IP violations that are still commonplace throughout the whole South-East Asia. Continue reading “IP Protection in South-East Asia for the Textile Industry” »

IP Considerations for the Automotive Industry in South-East Asia

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shift-1838138_1920 In today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at IP protection in South-East Asia for the Automotive Industry, which continues to offer many business opportunities for the European SMEs. You will learn about patent protection and when it would be wiser to relay on trade secrets instead. We will also discuss how you can protect the design of your products and how to take care of your brand. 

The automotive industry in South-East Asia has exhibited robust growth over the last few years. According to the latest statistics from the ASEAN Automotive Federation, combined motor vehicle sales in 7 major ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei) reached 3.16 million in 2016[1], almost double the sales figure in 2006. Underpinned by increasing disposable income throughout the region and increasing demand for motor vehicles South-East Asia’s automotive market is expected to continue to grow rapidly. This also means that there will be promising business opportunities for European SMEs whose expertise and technology are especially sought after.

Taking into account the constant innovation that is at the forefront of the automotive industry, the importance of intellectual property as well as its protection and enforcement, are undeniable. Thus, when exploring the possibility of investing or expanding into the South-East Asian markets, European SMEs should be aware of the IP risks that they will face when operating in this region, in particular with respect to the new technologies and the ability to protect these technologies from local competitors. A comprehensive IP strategy is needed for succeeding in South-east Asia’s markets. Continue reading “IP Considerations for the Automotive Industry in South-East Asia” »

Basics of Manufacturing Non-disclosure Agreements in China

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Page 1. ContractsIn today’s blog post we are going to take a closer look at different contracts and agreements that help European companies to protect their precious IP in China. In particular, you will learn more about non-disclosure agreements and non-use, non-disclosure and non-circumvention agreements. 

Introduction: contracts in China

Many SMEs view Chinese manufacturers as cheap, technically-skilled, attractive options for manufacturing their products and as such pursue partnerships with them. While Chinese manufacturers can be the key to the products needed to give your company worldwide reach, China—like all countries—can be home to unscrupulous merchants with a taste for IP theft. As such, tailoring contracts to suit your intellectual property rights (IPR) is an important way to ensure that your company’s specific intellectual property assets are adequately protected when dealing with Chinese manufacturers. In particular, this article will address use of so-called NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) and NNNs (non-use, non-disclosure, and non-circumvention agreements) to protect an SME’s trade secrets—“any non-public technical or business information with commercial value that is guarded by confidentiality measures.”

What are NDAs and NNNs?

At its core, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between an SME and a Chinese manufacturer is an agreement which states that once the SME reveals its trade secrets to the Chinese manufacturer, the manufacturer will refrain from disclosing those secrets to anyone else. Once a secret loses its secrecy—once it is revealed to the public—it no longer has any kind of legal protection and, most likely, will lose its economic value. That is why NDAs are go-to contracts for any SME which seeks to use a Chinese manufacturer. Otherwise, the manufacturer could reveal the SME’s trade secrets, making those secrets impossible to protect and capitalise on. Continue reading “Basics of Manufacturing Non-disclosure Agreements in China” »

Cleantech in Thailand: Some IP Considerations for the Rapidly Developing Market

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clean-techIn today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at the IP protection in Cleantech industry in Thailand, which has in recent years attracted the attention of European SMEs as the market is offering many promising opportunities.

As Thailand is one of the leaders in South-East Asia region in terms of renewable energy solutions, especially connected to solar power, but also to biomass and hydropower, its market attracts cleantech companies from over the world. Given Thai government’s ambitious plan of achieving a 25% energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2021[1], and the fact Thailand’s energy consumption is predicted to jump by 75% over next two decades[2], Thai cleantech market is expected to offer promising opportunities for European SMEs whose top-notch technology is especially sought after.

Because of the abundance of renewable energy sources, including sun, hydropower, and biomass, the country could become a true renewable energy powerhouse. Cleantech companies focused on solar energy, biosphere alternative energy systems, energy conservation and efficiency can find promising business opportunities in Thailand because these areas are also receiving the lion’s share of Thai government’s investments on renewable energy.

European cleantech companies should, however, pay attention to protecting their IP rights when planning their business strategy for the Thai market, because IP infringements are still relatively common in the country. Furthermore, cleantech industry tends to have high level of collaboration and licensing which make IP ownership the centerpiece of the business strategy.  Well-managed IP is often a key factor for business success and neglecting to register IP rights in Thailand could easily end SMEs’ business endeavor in the country. Thus, a robust and integrated IPR strategy is needed, when entering Thailand’s market. Continue reading “Cleantech in Thailand: Some IP Considerations for the Rapidly Developing Market” »

IP Protection Strategies for App Developers in China

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8585049088_9d1dbcdf1f_kDue to the size of the market, increasing disposable income and smartphone addiction China is an attractive market for European app developers who are wishing to expand to new markets. European app developers should, however, pay attention to protecting their IP rights in the country, because IP infringements are still commonplace in China.In today’s blog post we’re taking a closer look at how European app developers could best protect their business against IP violations in China. 

China has increased the per person spending on games and other apps 10 times since 2014. This rapid growth, stimulated by the release of the iPhone 6 and 7 and heavy investment in Apple’s retail presence in the country, has pushed China to the top spot for App downloads worldwide[1].

Asia is leading a mobile revolution, replacing older, less transportable technologies with a ‘mobile-first’ tech culture. Smartphone penetration in China is far deeper than anywhere in the West, many new users skipping desktop computing entirely in their adoption of smartphones and tablets[2]. In China alone it is estimated that there are more than 700 million active smartphones and there is still potential for further growth as lower cost alternatives increasingly cater for the lower end of the market.

These statistics, coupled with recent developments in Chinese mobile user payment structures makes China a very attractive market for existing and potential app developers, with content creators flocking to take advantage of the newly minted market. Continue reading “IP Protection Strategies for App Developers in China” »