International Activities

Int'l Committee Investigation Team to Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia

During December 9-20, 2013, the International 4th Committee dispatched a total of 18-member investigation team to Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia and held a meeting with the following 21 IP-related groups. The investigation team for Southeast Asia and Oceania area was dispatched subsequent to the visit for Thailand and Indonesia on January, 2013 and mainly investigated the points of attention in the aspects of patent acquisition and enforcement.

Vietnam
National Office of Intellectual Property, HONDA Vietnam, Market Surveillance Agency (Ha Noi), Market Control Department (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam IP Association(VIPA), Vision & Associates, Ministry of Science and Technology - Ministry Inspectorate, Pham & Associates, INVESTIP Law Firm

Malaysia
Shearn Delamore Law Firm, IP Court、RamRais & Partners, Malaysia IP Office(MyIPO), Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and. Consumerism Enforcement Division, HENRY GOH &. CO Law Firm

Australia
JETRO Sydney, Spruson & Ferguson Australia, Canberra Customs, Australian Intellectual Property Office, Japanese Embassy, Pizzeys Law Office

In all countries, we studied the practically important points on the patent acquisition including the trend of law revision. Particularly in Vietnam, we also studied the civil action and the activities of a plurality of the administrative agencies (Market Management Bureau, Ministry of Science and Technology Inspection Bureau) and their effectiveness in the enforcement aspect. In Malaysia, we studied a trend of the IP High Court (established in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in Southeast Asia), which was the few in Southeast Asia region. In Australia, where the British court system is underlying, we learned the current situation of the court system and the points of attention mainly on the difference from the British court system or the US court system.

After the Lehman Shock, the dispatches to the Southeast Asia region had been suspended, so this was the first visit in six years for both Vietnam and Malaysia and the first visit in 13 years for Australia. We were welcome by each organization and had a frank exchange of views with any organization, which also forged the relationship with each organization.

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