ASEAN may protect trademarks<\/p>\n
By Riyadi<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN) is gearing up for cooperation on intellectual property
\nrights and the possible establishment of free trade in services.<\/p>\n
ASEAN economic ministers finalized yesterday framework
\nagreements on the two issues, in addition to agreements on the
\nfree trade of goods under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
\narrangement.<\/p>\n
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Amnuay Viravan told a press
\nconference that ASEAN heads of state\/governments will sign the
\nagreements on Friday.<\/p>\n
The economic ministers also agreed to draw up action plans on
\nfree trade in services within three years and plan to report the
\nplans in the next ASEAN summit to be held in Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's meeting of economic ministers was chaired by
\nBrunei Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Dato
\nAbdul Rahman Taib. Indonesia was represented by Coordinating
\nMinister for Production and Distribution Hartarto and Minister of
\nIndustry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo.<\/p>\n
Tunky confirmed that the economic ministers had been
\nsuccessful in preparing all the necessary documents, including
\nthose on services and property rights.<\/p>\n
Signing<\/p>\n
\"We have finalized everything to be signed tomorrow. There is
\nno problem at all. Everything proceeded very well,\" Tunky said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN Secretary-General Dato' Ajit Singh told reporters that
\nboth framework agreements, drafted by the economic ministers,
\nwill be deliberated in the joint ministerial meeting of ASEAN
\nforeign ministers and economic ministers today before they are
\nbrought before the fifth ASEAN summit on Thursday.<\/p>\n
On the services issue, Singh said that the economic ministers
\nhad identified the areas to be liberalized, including financial
\nservices, air and maritime transportation, telecommunications,
\ntourism and business services.<\/p>\n
Singh said that ASEAN free trade in services will be
\nconsistent with the provisions of the General Agreement on Trade
\nin Services. He said that it will also complement the AFTA
\nagreement, which rules free trade in goods.<\/p>\n
According to the ASEAN secretariat, the services sector
\ncontributes between 46 percent and 72 percent of the gross
\ndomestic products of the groups members. By 1993, the production
\nof the services sector was bigger than the manufacturing sector
\nin all ASEAN countries.<\/p>\n
ASEAN currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Asked about the timeframe for free trade in services, Singh
\nsaid there was still a long way to go.<\/p>\n
\"Next year, we will start to talk about it into detail. Then,
\nwe will have an agreement. The idea is to talk to have an
\nagreement,\" Singh said.<\/p>\n
Singh said that there will be cooperation at the ASEAN level
\nin the area of trade-related intellectual property rights.<\/p>\n
One of the items in the framework agreement refers to the
\nformation of a single standard mechanism to improve the trademark
\nand copyright registration process among ASEAN members.<\/p>\n
A full-fledged patent system is, however, still a few years
\naway, and the agreement initially is the form of a pledge by
\nASEAN governments to study the feasibility of a patent system.<\/p>\n
The proposed agreement envisages the setting up of regional
\ntrademark and patent offices modeled on other international
\nsystems. The aim is to have one application, one set of laws and
\nautomatic protection for rights owners within ASEAN.<\/p>\n
No timeframe has been set for the establishment of the
\noffices. However, some sources said it could be finalized by
\n2000.<\/p>\n
A number of ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, Thailand
\nand the Philippines, have been criticized for being havens for
\nviolators of intellectual property rights.<\/p>\n
ASEAN has been working on the intellectual property agreement
\nsince September last year after realizing improvements were
\nneeded to protect its businesses, boost the confidence of foreign
\ninvestors and, ultimately, lure more investment to the region.<\/p>\n
Patents and trademarks are the key issues to be discussed
\nunder the heading of intellectual property rights. The framework
\nagreement involves cooperation on copyrights, industrial designs
\nand commercial secrets.<\/p>\n
EU -- Page 9<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-may-protect-trademarks-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }