Philippines takes lead in ASEAN IP enforcement cooperation
05 June 2026
Representatives from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened at the 17th Meeting of the ASEAN Network of Intellectual Property Rights Experts (ANIEE) held recently, with the Philippines assuming the group’s chairship and taking the lead in advancing cooperation on IP protection and enforcement as well as strengthening efforts to increase IP awareness across the region.
The Philippines’ return to the chairship this year marks a continuation of its leadership role, having chaired the group since its inception in 2017 before the position was handed over to Thailand in 2023 for a period of two years.
During the meeting, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) led discussions on initiatives supporting the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan 2026-2030 (AIPRAP 2030) that fall under the purview of ANIEE. These initiatives are aligned with the plan’s fourth strategic measure, which seeks to foster a culture of respect for IP and increase compliance and enforcement of IP rights among ASEAN member states (AMS).
The specific initiatives under the purview of ANIEE are as follows:
- SI 4.1.2: Collaborate with stakeholders to incorporate IP education into the AMS school curriculum
- SI 4.1.3: Identify and partner with major regional or international IP-rich events to build IP awareness and respect during the events
- SI 4.1.4: Engage influencers and businesses to implement campaigns that educate the public on IP rights regionally
- SI 4.2.2: Review and update the existing ASEAN IPR Enforcement Handbook to further enhance AMS collaboration
- SI 4.3.1: Develop a regional cross-sectoral communication and mentoring platform to facilitate knowledge exchange, joint initiatives and best practices on IP enforcement
- SI 4.3.2: Organize regular high-level regional IP Enforcement and Compliance Forums to strengthen stakeholder engagement
IPOPHL also announced plans to convene the first ASEAN Regional IP Enforcement Summit in November, which will serve as a platform to further advance collaboration and high-level dialogue on IP issues, including enforcement and awareness, across the region.
Model for a dual enforcement strategy
IPOPHL also highlighted two national IP enforcement initiatives that show how stronger public-private collaboration and interagency coordination can address evolving IP challenges.
The agency cited the interagency and cross-sectoral work of the National Committee on IP Rights (NCIPR) as a model. In this regard, IPOPHL offered to share insights from the development of its own NCIPR Action Plan 2026–2030 with other AMS.
The meeting also discussed updates on the proposed Regional Declaration of Cooperation on IP Rights Enforcement Against Online Infringement, including the development of a Model Code of Conduct (COC). The COC is a voluntary, non-binding framework designed to guide AMS in addressing IP violations in ecommerce, serving as a regional reference for the development of national codes and for promoting cooperation between IP rights holders and ecommerce platforms.
In line with this, IPOPHL shared lessons from facilitating the Ecommerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and highlighted its results, which includes faster enforcement, higher revenue recovery, stronger consumer protection and improved collaboration of all stakeholders under a coordinated framework. Although IPOPHL is not a signatory to the Ecommerce MOU, it plays a central role in convening stakeholders, facilitating coordination between rights holders and ecommerce platforms and ensuring the effective implementation and continuous development of the initiative.
Deputy director general Nathaniel S. Arevalo emphasized IP enforcement as a shared regional responsibility that requires strong cooperation, mutual trust and coordinated action among member states.
“With the Philippines currently serving as the ASEAN and ANIEE Chair for 2026, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting a more innovative, inclusive and resilient ASEAN community,” he said.
- Asia IP
