Using Contracts to Protect your IP in South-East Asia: Licensing and Technology Transfer Agreements

Page 1. ContractsMany companies wishing to do business in  South-East Asia choose to license their IP to third parties in order to be able to expand their business ever more rapidly and conveniently. Well-drafted licensing and technology transfer agreements are the key to a successful business endeavor in South-East Asia and thus, we have chosen to discuss the art of drafting these contracts in today’s blog post. This blog post will provide you with some useful tips and watch-outs to keep in mind when drafting contracts with your partners in South-East Asia. 

IP can create value and revenue to the European SMEs through IP commercialization via licensing the IP to third parties. A company that owns rights in a patent,  but cannot or does not want to be involved in the manufacturing of products, can benefit from licensing their IP assets to third parties who have better manufacturing capacity, wider distribution outlets or greater local knowledge. Furthermore, licensing trade marks can allow companies to expand their operations into new markets faster and more effectively as the companies can benefit from the wider distribution networks and contacts that the licensees have.

The people and companies that SMEs do business with, and therefore contract with, will often use the European SMEs IP to varying degrees. Therefore, it is also very important for the European SMEs to protect their IP well-written licensing and technology transfer contracts. In this article we will take a look at licensing and technology transfer agreements. Continue reading “Using Contracts to Protect your IP in South-East Asia: Licensing and Technology Transfer Agreements” »

How to Protect your Trade Mark in South-East Asia

trademarkWith the arrival of the new year, many SMEs are planning to start new business endeavors in the lucrative markets of South-East Asia. However, with all this new year’s enthusiasm, it is very easy to forget that counterfeiting and other IP violations are still commonplace in South-East Asia. Thus, it is very important to have a robust IP strategy in place when entering the promising markets of South-East Asia. In today’s blog post, we are, therefore, taking a closer look at trade mark protection in South-East Asia, focusing on trade mark registration, protection and enforcement. 

Generally speaking, a trade mark is a sign which serves on the market to distinguish the goods and services of one undertaking from others, and over which the owner has an exclusive right. Trade marks are words, logos, devices or other distinctive features which can be represented graphically. In some South-East Asia countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, they may also consist of the shape of goods or their packaging in three-dimensional form. As of now, Singapore is the only South-East Asian country to recognize trade marks based on sound.

Trade marks are an essential part of the identity of goods and services. They help deliver brand recognition, i.e. they distinguish your company from the competition. They also help to build trust, reputation and goodwill for your company as well as play an important role in marketing and advertising. A trade mark can become an important asset with significant monetary value for a company and should, thus, be protected. Continue reading “How to Protect your Trade Mark in South-East Asia” »

IP Considerations for App Developers in South-East Asia

8585049088_9d1dbcdf1f_kAs the market for smartphones is rapidly growing in South-East Asia and many European companies wish to enter the lucrative market of apps, it is time to take a look at how the European SMEs can best protect their valuable intellectual property when entering the South-East Asian markets. 

In a world of increasingly affordable smartphone technology and rapidly expanding connectivity, the digital marketplace makes room for new players on the scene: the app developers. Third party’s apps have become a core part of the smartphone package, providing users with almost limitless potential for productivity, utility, education and leisure, and apps serving as a huge part of smartphone marketing strategy and user attraction.

With the number of smartphones overtaking non-smartphones back in 2013 and total worldwide app related revenues set to top $45 billion this year, app development is an increasingly attractive industry for software producers. Continue reading “IP Considerations for App Developers in South-East Asia” »

New Developments in Vietnamese IP Regulations on Internet Domain Names

shutterstock_167099189In today’s blog post we take a  look at the recent developments in Vietnamese IP regulations concerning Internet Domain names and analyse the implications of these regulations to the European SMEs. 

On the 8 June 2016 the Ministry of Information and Communication and the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a Joint Circular on the amendment and recovery of domain names which breach the law on intellectual property.  The Joint Circular introduces a set of administrative proceedings that are available under the Vietnamese Law on Intellectual Property, for companies experiencing internet domain name infringement disputes. Such measures include clear deadlines for infringers to ensure they stop their activities and return the domain names to their rightful owners, as well as steps that the authorities can take if the infringers refuse to obey these regulations. Continue reading “New Developments in Vietnamese IP Regulations on Internet Domain Names” »

Protecting your IP whilst Transferring Technology to South-East Asia

xiandaishangwu2_221In today’s blog post, the Helpdesk team will provide you some valuable tips on how to safely transfer your technology to South-East Asian countries.

In recent years, European SMEs have started to look to the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be a key player in the investment and development of several different types of technologies across a multitude of industries. Relatively low labor costs, high skill levels and diversity in the level of development across the region, enabling South-East Asia to attract a range of technologies, are making the region so attractive for the European SMEs.

Whilst accessing the lucrative South-East Asian markets, the European SMEs are often willing to ‘transfer’ some of their technologies and designs to local subsidiaries of European firms, joint-venture partners, or local manufacturing and service companies. One of the challenges facing European companies coming to South-East Asia is devising creative solutions to minimize the risk to their intellectual property associated with technology transfers. A technology transfer can happen in a number of different ways. European companies most commonly transfer their technology by licensing their patents, designs, software, trade secrets, and know-how.  A common misconception is that a technology transfer is limited to transfers of high technology. However, many European companies using contract manufacturing to manufacture low technology, consumer, or industrial products, such as those based on product designs, must deal with the same risks to their IP as their high technology counterparts. Continue reading “Protecting your IP whilst Transferring Technology to South-East Asia” »