An intellectual property (IP) agreement has been signed by the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation in Cambodia.

The signing ceremony took place on March 30 in the presence of Hidetoshi Nishimura, president of the ERIA, and Minister Cham Prasidh of Cambodia.

The agreement constituted a tripartite commitment to promote IP and technical training in both the public and commercial sectors to improve awareness and knowledge of IP in Cambodia, according to a press statement from the ministry on March 31. The three parties expressed their gratitude for the agreement.

The ministry, JPO, and ERIA agreed to offer technical assistance, which will include IP research, joint workshops, lectures, and seminars, knowledge sharing, the promotion of technology transfer, the disseminating of research, the facilitation of exchanges of visits, exchanges of information, and best practices of laws, policies, and regulations relating to IP rights.

Prasidh urged ministry representatives to keep talking about the project's implementation, set up more activities, and improve collaboration among the three signatories.

“In addition to working with the JPO, the ministry also collaborates with a number of other important IP offices around the world, including the IP Office Singapore (IPOS), the European Patent Office (EPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),” he said.

 - Excel Dyquiangco