The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and IP Academy Conduct Inaugural \"Best Practices for Patent Drafting in ASEAN\" Workshop
17 June 2014
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and IP Academy concluded the inaugural ‘Best Practices for Patent Drafting in ASEAN’ workshop in Singapore on June 3, 2014. The three-day workshop attracted professionals from the region as well as those from Singapore’s private and public sectors.
The ‘Best Practices for Patent Drafting in ASEAN’ workshop was held as an activity under the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Action Plan 2011-2015. The plan consists of numerous initiatives and strategic goals aimed at increasing the protection, utilization and enforcement of IP in the region. Singapore leads capacity building programmes for patent professionals in ASEAN. In 2013, IPOS circulated a survey amongst ASEAN Member States (AMSs) to gather feedback on the required training areas. 'Patent Drafting’ was identified as one of the key areas for patent professionals in AMSs to receive training in.
Led by leading industry practitioners, the workshop focused on practical skills related to patent topics. This allowed participants the chance to take part in real practice scenarios in addition to the impartation of theoretical knowledge. The training programme also provided the participants with a good opportunity to gain better understanding on the varied IP practices and legislation within the region.
Chiam Lu Lin, Executive Director, IP Academy, shared, “We are privileged to partner IPOS in this initiative as we see the huge importance in training IP professionals to serve business needs in a global knowledge economy IP Academy is pleased to contribute to regional efforts aimed at building IP capacity and improving ASEAN's self-sufficiency in IP expertise to meet the needs of the global markets."
Do Thuy Tien, IP Attorney from Vietnam commented, "The course is very interesting and systematic, fortifying our knowledge and experience of patent drafting practices. The holistic programme gives us greater confidence to provide patent drafting services for our clients."
"The conference has been very helpful and the topics covered were very informative. It gives us a deep insight on different Intellectual Property (IP) laws of other countries, thereby allowing us to reflect on how we can improve our own system. We are thankful that this was organised", said Associate Professor Michael Jorge N. Peralta from Philippines.
Singapore also recently held the second ASEAN Community of Practice for Patent Examiners with the aim to raise the region’s search and examination standards. These efforts on capacity building for ASEAN countries organised by IPOS and the IP Academy play an important role in the fulfilment of the ASEAN IPR Action plan. They help ASEAN develop its own capacity to train and produce highly qualified IP professionals who will contribute to the region’s growth in today’s global knowledge economy.
