Thailand, ASEAN neighbours jointly establish IP cooperation

BANGKOK, August 8 (TNA) - Thailand’s Intellectual Property Department (IPD) under the Ministry of Commerce has firstly joined hands with Vietnam's intellectual property office to encourage business operators of both member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect intellectual property rights, paving the way for the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on January 1, 2015. Speaking in Bangkok on Wednesday at a seminar, themed “Intellectual Property Rights in Vietnam”, jointly held by the Thai and Vietnamese intellectual property agencies, IPD Director-General Pajchima Tanasanti said after Vietnam, Thailand will also work with intellectual property offices of other ASEAN member countries to exchange knowledge and relevant legal codes in order to avoid the violation of intellectual property rights once the AEC is formed with trade and investment liberalization. According to the IPD chief, closer cooperation among ASEAN member states will not only help protect intellectual property in the region, but will also reduce smuggling of goods while boosting patent registrations in the 10-member bloc by 15-20 per cent annually. (TNA)