IP Heads Affirm Commitment to International Collaboration at 2019 Singapore Forum

SINGAPORE – Media
OutReach – 27 August 2019 – Global intellectual property (IP) and
chief executives at major IP agencies today said that pursuing cross border collaboration
and partnerships is vital in an increasingly fragmenting economic landscape.

At the plenary session at IP Week @ Singapore (from L-to-R): Mr Tim Moss, Chief Executive Officer & Comptroller General, UK Intellectual Property Office; Session moderator Ms Sandy Huang; Mr Darren Tang, Chief Executive, Intellectual Property Office of Singapore; Mr David Lossignol, President, International Trademark Association; and Dr Fernando Dos Santos, Director General, Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation.

At the opening of IP Week @ SG 2019, UK
Intellectual Property Office Chief Executive Officer and Comptroller General Mr
Tim Moss said “the future of IP offices is absolutely about collaboration.”
There is a need to harmonise IP practices across borders and the UK IPO is
working closely with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) on
this.

Mr Moss was a key speaker at IP Week in
Singapore 2019 which opened on Tuesday (27 August). The Singapore forum is in
its 8^th edition and has become a key forum for international IP
experts to exchange views. The forum, organised by IPOS, opened against the
backdrop of enterprises facing greater uncertainties with ongoing trade
tensions and political uncertainties.

In his opening address attended by 4,000
delegates, IPOS Chief Executive Mr Daren Tang said: “IP is no longer just a
technical vertical (attribute), but a horizontal enabler. And as our economies
become transformed by innovation, technology and digitalisation, intangible
assets, not just IP, but data, trade secrets, know-how, expertise and more,
will increasingly move to the centre of our economies.”

Echoing the message of collaboration, Africa Regional
Intellectual Property Organisation Director General Dr Fernando Dos Santos said
that his continent is still grappling with internet connectivity and related
skills in managing IP matters. Hence, cross border collaboration is necessary.

On the matter of Brexit, Mr Moss said that “we
have a situation currently on trade marks and designs based on the EU trade
mark system which covers 28 countries. When we (the UK) leave on 31 October,
there will be 27-member states. That means that two million rights, in theory,
will disappear. This is a fundamental property right (and) it is no mean feat
to create two million new rights overnight (at the UK IPO).”

He added that for any organisation with a
European trademark and seeking a UK IP right, “it can be created automatically
at no extra cost and it will happen on 1 November”.

The forum continues with discussions related to
IP and cutting-edge technologies and how legislation is evolving.