Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) held the 8th ROK-ASEAN Heads of Intellectual Property Offices Meeting on September 1 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with the delegations from the ten ASEAN member states, as well as the delegation from Timor-Leste in observer capacity which is currently working to establish its own IP office.


Since signing their first Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property in Brunei in 2018, Korea and ASEAN have built a close partnership, holding the heads meeting annually.

In this year's meeting, the heads of KIPO and ten ASEAN member states reaffirmed their commitment to the continuation and advancement of mutual engagement, which was demonstrated by the adoption of the "2025 ROK-ASEAN Joint Statement on Intellectual Property Cooperation." The statement highlights cooperation in three priority areas: Enhancing efficiency in IP administration with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening IP protection and enforcement and promoting IP finance and commercialization. This reflects the shared acknowledgement on the need to respond to the rapid advancement of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, and the increasing importance for the ASEAN member states to strengthen their capacity for IP protection and enforcement in order to foster innovation, attract investment, and support sustainable economic growth.


The delegations also had a discussion on two important topics: Expanding IP education through the development of IP learning programs customized to each ASEAN member state's needs and priorities, and strengthening cooperation in patents and trademarks for effective examination and protection of IP rights.

Source: https://www.kipo.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?board_id=kiponews&cp=1&pg=1&npp=10&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1804