INTA Engages ASEAN Network of Enforcement Experts at Philippines Summit

As part of INTA’s efforts to highlight the need for trademark protection and strong anticounterfeiting measures in Asia-Pacific and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), INTA representatives recently organized and participated in several events and initiatives reaching hundreds of government and industry partners from across the region.

ASEAN IP Enforcement Seminar

INTA, together with the UK Intellectual Property Office, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) co-organized the ASEAN-UK IP Enforcement Seminar in Manila, the Philippines, from September 17 to 18. The seminar took place as a supporting event of the ASEAN Network of IP Enforcement Experts (ANIEE), which was held on September 19 in Manila, the Philippines.

The seminar included presentations and panel discussions with law enforcement and government officials from nine of the ten countries of ASEAN. The participant countries were Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Approximately 70 government officials and 10 industry representatives participated in discussions focusing on cooperation between rights holders and government and the role of intellectual property (IP) offices in IP enforcement and coordination with other enforcement agencies at the national and regional levels.

INTA organized two panel discussions, titled “The Role of IP Offices in Enforcement and the Coordination and Cooperation with Other Domestic Agencies” and “Rights Holders Strategies for Awareness,” which included speakers from the government of the Philippines and Vietnam, and representatives of the industry.

INTA also presented its Unreal Campaign, the Association’s consumer awareness initiative designed to educate young consumers (ages 14‒23) about the importance of trademarks and brands, and the dangers of counterfeit products. The Association also provided a presentation on the “Use of Technology in Anticounterfeiting.” INTA members participating in the seminar included Katrina Doble (V&A Law, the Philippines), Joseph Vincent Fabul (Philip Morris International Inc., the Philippines), Editha R. Hechanova (Hechanova & Co. Inc., the Philippines), Charles Hoskin (LVMH Asia Pacific, Hong Kong SAR, China), Emilie Philippe (Webdrone APAC, France), and Regina Reyes-Rara (MarksPro, the Philippines).

Roundtable Discussion in Jakarta, Indonesia

INTA members from numerous industries including sportswear, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, met with representatives of major e-commerce platforms operating in Indonesia and with the Indonesia Association of e-commerce platforms (idEA) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 23, to discuss enforcement mechanisms, policy, and cooperation. Members of INTA’s Anticounterfeiting Committee (ACC), East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee led the discussion, which focused on the experiences of brand owners as they address counterfeiting on e-commerce platforms in Indonesia. Topics included current take-down protocols and opportunities for improvement, current priorities of Indonesian e-commerce platforms in relation to self-regulation, and the deployment of technological innovations in identifying sellers of counterfeits and repeat infringers. Representatives from local e-commerce platforms Lazada, Tokopedia, and Bukalapak joined the discussion. INTA Anticounterfeiting Advisor, Asia-Pacific, Valentina Salmoiraghi moderated the discussion together with INTA ACC members Andrew Conduit (SKC Law, Indonesia), Emirsyah Dinar (AFFA IPR, Indonesia), and Nick Redfearn (Rouse, Indonesia).

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Asia Regional Workshop on Enforcement

INTA participated in the Asia Regional Workshop on Enforcement Against Trade in Counterfeit Goods organized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 24 to 27. The workshop attracted approximately 100 law enforcement officials from the ASEAN region, India, and Oceania, with the aim of exchanging best practices on the enforcement of IP rights and strengthening coordination between law enforcement operations and cooperation with industry.

Ms. Salmoiraghi took part in the panel on “Challenges for Consumers and Rightsholders in the Global and Online Environment,” which focused on the activities and initiatives of INTA’s ACC and Unreal Campaign. Panelists shared case studies from various industries, including agricultural products, computers and electronics, automotive and motorcycle parts, and medical devices and equipment, as examples of cooperation between brand owners and enforcement agencies, and highlighted challenges and coordination for enforcement.

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