IP Considerations in Thailand for Healthcare and Medical Technologies Sector

Posted on 18-Jan-2018 by Helika Jurgenson

In Today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at the IP protection in Thailand’s healthcare and medical technologies sector that similarly to Singapore, covered last week, has been offering promising business opportunities for the European SMEs. You will learn more about what types of IP are connected to the healthcare industry and how you can best protect these types of IP in Thailand.

Being one of the leading destinations for medical tourism in Asia Pacific region with the ambition of becoming the international key driver of medical devices growth, Thailand offers many promising opportunities business opportunities to European SMEs engaged in healthcare and medical technologies sector, whose topnotch technology is increasingly sought after. Furthermore, as Thai population is aging rapidly, with the expectation that by 2025 people over 60 will make up 22% of the whole population, the demand for medical devices and technologies will increase considerably[1].

European SMEs who are engaged in the field of diagnostic imaging, orthopaedics & prosthetics and dental products can expect to find plenty of business opportunities in Thailand, as these areas are currently developing fastest in the country. Furthermore, as 85.2% of the medical device market in Thailand is supplied by imports[2], there will also be business opportunities for European SMEs engaged in other areas of healthcare and medical technologies industry. Due to good geographical location, Thailand could also serve as a springboard to Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Intellectual Property Rights are very relevant in the healthcare and medical sector as companies operating in the field heavily rely on technology, software, and brand reputation. Not only a way to help protect innovations and new products from competitors, IP assets can also be an important source of cash-flow through licensing deals or selling IP, as well as a significant pull-factor when attracting investors. European SMEs should also not forget to pay attention to protecting their IP, because IP infringements are still commonplace in Thailand. Well-managed IP is often a key factor for business success and neglecting these rights could be costly. Thus, a comprehensive IPR strategy is needed, when entering Thailand’s market, says Valentina Salmoiraghi, IP Business Advisor. Continue reading “IP Considerations in Thailand for Healthcare and Medical Technologies Sector” »

IP Considerations in Singapore for Healthcare and Medical Technologies Sector

Posted on 9-Jan-2018 by Helika Jurgenson

In Today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at the IP protection in Singapore’s healthcare and medical technologies sector that has been offering promising business opportunities for the European SMEs for a few years now. You will learn about what types of IP are connected to the healthcare industry and how you can best protect these types of IP in Singapore.

Underpinned by both raising disposable income and progressively aging population, Singapore offers various promising business opportunities to European SMEs engaged in healthcare and medical technologies sector, whose topnotch technology is increasingly sought after. Furthermore, Singapore’s healthcare expenditure is expected to grow about 10% by 2020 and the government is committed to offering better healthcare to its citizens as it has dedicated a budget of 2.64 billion EUR to developing the health and biomedical sciences sector in Singapore over the next 5 years.[1]

European SMEs who are engaged in developing medical diagnostics tools, especially in the areas of immunochemistry, point-of-care devices, and molecular diagnostics, or developing medical solutions catered towards functional ageing and fighting obesity-related and chronic diseases, can expect to find plenty of business opportunities in Singapore, as these areas are currently developing fastest in the country. Similarly, SMEs that are engaged in digital dentistry, can expect to find promising business opportunities, as there is rising interest in digital dentistry in Singapore.[2] As Singapore aspires to become Asia’s digital healthcare hub, European SMEs can also use Singapore as a gateway to other South-East Asian countries, whose demand for healthcare technologies is similar to Singapore.

Intellectual Property Rights are very relevant in the healthcare and medical sector as companies operating in the field heavily rely on technology, software, and brand reputation. Not only a way to help protect innovations and new products from competitors, IP assets can also be an important source of cash-flow through licensing deals or selling IP, as well as a significant pull-factor when attracting investors. European SMEs should, however, not forget to pay attention to protecting their IP and implement a strategy tailored to their needs. Well-managed IP is often a key factor for business success and neglecting these rights could be costly. Thus, a comprehensive IPR strategy is needed, when entering Singapore’s market, says Valentina Salmoiraghi, IP Business Advisor. Continue reading “IP Considerations in Singapore for Healthcare and Medical Technologies Sector” »

Handling of Trade Secrets in South-East Asia: Focus on Thailand

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Posted on 11-Dec-2017 by Helika Jurgenson

Trade secrets are an excellent but often under-exploited means of IP protection for the SMEs. In Today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at trade secret protection in South-East Asia in general as well as in Thailand in particular. You will learn about general trade secret protection requirements and trends in South-East Asia and will get a closer overview of trade secret protection in Thailand in particular.

Trade secrets are a highly valuable form of intellectual property that nearly all businesses in all industries and sectors possess. However, they are frequently overlooked by businesses, partly because there is confusion about what actually constitutes a trade secret. So what is a trade secret?

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), any confidential business information that is of considerable commercial value to businesses and that provides an enterprise with a competitive edge may be considered a trade secret. In practice, this could be:

sales methods
distribution methods
consumer profiles
advertising plans
pricing strategies
lists of suppliers and clients
manufacturing processes

In other words, more often than not trade secrets are the ‘know-how’ that a business builds up over time. Typically, the longer the SME is in business the more valuable its trade secrets will become, and the more its business grows the more its competitors will seek to discover this valuable working knowledge. Therefore, it is increasingly important to take steps to protect trade secrets. Continue reading “Handling of Trade Secrets in South-East Asia: Focus on Thailand” »

Intellectual Property Rights Protection for EU SMEs related to Smart City Solutions

Posted on 4-Dec-2017 by Helika Jurgenson

Smart City Solutions have become the hot topic throughout South-East Asia and the European SMEs engaged in the industries connected to Smart City Solutions are expected to find many promising business opportunities in the region. In today’s blog post we are taking a closer look at the IP protection related to Smart City Solutions in Vietnam. You will learn about whether to protect your inventions with patents or whether you should rely on trade secrets.

With the rapid development of Vietnam’s cities has come a growing urban integration of information systems. This enhances the city’s efficiency as well as the quality of life of its citizens for many crucial metropolitan features such as mobility, healthcare, waste management, energy, or water-access^[1]. Online interconnected systems and a reliance on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) features play a key role in these advancements^[2]. The province of Binh Duong, for instance, has started cooperating with the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group to develop the necessary ICT infrastructure with local government agencies.

The importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in such context then becomes apparent. By combining a growing demand for high-tech solutions to tackle urban challenges with a tech-savvy population, Vietnam’s cities provide plenty of opportunities for European SMEs to expand their businesses. Yet European SMEs dealing with smart solutions should be mindful of possible IPR risks at hand. They often provide highly innovative niche solutions, but for many urban problems, a solution can only be made successful through a combination of interdependent technologies. In effect, European SMEs may need to expose their innovations to third parties on a regular basis, thus increasing the risks of IP infringement if proper measures are not taken in advance, says Valentina Salmoiraghi, IP Business Advisor. Continue reading “Intellectual Property Rights Protection for EU SMEs related to Smart City Solutions” »

Vietnam: A New Dawn for Vietnam Domain Name Disputes?

Posted on 24-Nov-2017 by Helika Jurgenson

Today’s blog post has been kindly drafted for us by South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk external IPR expert Mr. Thomas J. Treutler from Tilleke & Gibbins and IPR expert Mr. Loc Xuan Le from T&G Law Firm LLC (TGVN), a licensed law firm and IP agent that partners with Tilleke & Gibbins for local filings in Vietnam. Mr Treutler and Mr. Le discuss the decision by Vietnam Internet Network Information Center to withdraw from the internet domain name registry the domain name www.bmw.com.vn, which had been used by a cyber-squatter. Both experts will also explain the implications of this decision to companies, including European SMEs worried about their internet domain names in Vietnam. This article appeared first in Managing IP Magazine.

April 21, 2017, was an important milestone in the settlement of IP infringement cases relating to “.vn” domain names in Vietnam. This was the day the domain name <www.bmw.com.vn> was withdrawn by the national domain name management agency, the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC), taking control of the domain away from the registrant by “flicking a switch” at the registry. It marked the first time under recently passed legislation that VNNIC had withdrawn a domain name at the request of the intellectual property infringement settlement agency, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

In this case, the BMW Group, owner of the world-famous BMW trademark and many <bmw> domain names, alleged that <www.bmw.com.vn> had been registered, appropriated, and used in bad faith by a cyber-squatter. The domain name had been registered by the infringing party for 12 years and BMW’s earlier attempts to regain the domain name had been unsuccessful.

Continue reading “Vietnam: A New Dawn for Vietnam Domain Name Disputes?” »

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