Exploring Korea-ASEAN Intellectual Property and Technology Cooperation in the AX Era

'2024 Han-ASEAN Intellectual Property Cooperation Conference' Held

The "2024 Korea-ASEAN Intellectual Property Cooperation Conference," hosted by the National Intellectual Property Committee and organized by the Federation of Intellectual Property Associations, was held on the 24th under the theme "Intellectual Property Cooperation and Technological Innovation in the AX (AI Transformation) Era."

The "Korea-ASEAN Intellectual Property Cooperation Conference" is being held for the second time following 2023 to create a platform for intellectual property exchange with the 10 ASEAN countries, where the digital economy is rapidly growing. The conference aims to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property across all sectors including economy, industry, and culture, and to establish a long-term cooperative foundation in the field of intellectual property between Korea and ASEAN.

About 200 people attended the opening ceremony, including Kim Ji-su, Head of the Intellectual Property Strategy Planning Group at the National Intellectual Property Committee; Chung Gap-yoon and Won Hye-young, Co-Chairs of the Federation of Intellectual Property Associations; Chhirng Botumlangsey, Ambassador of Cambodia to Korea; Than Shin, Ambassador of Myanmar to Korea; Maria Teresa Dizon-De Vega, Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea; as well as heads of related intellectual property organizations and experts.

Through a congratulatory message read by Kim Ji-su, Lee Kwang-hyung, Co-Chairman of the National Intellectual Property Committee, stated, "The AX era is a time when intellectual property is a crucial asset for nations and companies and a core of future competitiveness." He added, "I sincerely hope that Korea and ASEAN countries will join hands to harmoniously develop technological innovation and intellectual property protection and open new paths together."

Following the congratulatory remarks, the "2024 Korea-ASEAN Vision" declaration ceremony was held, announcing initiatives to further strengthen intellectual property cooperation between Korea and ASEAN member countries. These include joint research to explore ways to create, protect, and mutually utilize intellectual property, as well as cooperation in intellectual property education and talent development for future generations.

In the afternoon, the academic conference was divided into two main sessions. The first session addressed the first topic, "ASEAN Intellectual Property Cooperation Strategies in the AX Era." Lawyer Tok Tavsothaly from Lee&Corp Legal Office in Cambodia introduced Cambodia’s intellectual property legal system and policy status, as well as the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). Professor Park Sung-pil from the Graduate School of Future Strategy at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) proposed an intellectual property society based on the Metaverse. Regarding the second topic, "Intellectual Property Systems and Education for Sustainable Development," Rittavan Thirakul, Head of the Intellectual Property Department under the Ministry of Commerce of Laos, introduced Laos’s intellectual property organizations, legal system, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Professor Jeong Chi-hwa from Kyung Hee University’s Department of Genetic Engineering presented the current status of intellectual property systems and education for sustainable development and proposed Korea-ASEAN intellectual property mutual cooperation tasks.

The second session covered the first topic, "The Role and Future of Content Intellectual Property." Lawyer Sukontip Jitmongkoltong from Tilleke & Gibbins Law Office in Thailand presented the current status of content intellectual property in Thailand and solutions to infringement issues. Benjamin Ng, Director of CISAC Asia-Pacific, introduced the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and discussed challenges in copyright management in the digital world. On the second topic, "Harmonizing Intellectual Property Protection and Technological Innovation in the AX Era," Cho Dewa, Joint Secretary-General of the Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, introduced Myanmar’s intellectual property legal system and dispute resolution framework. Professor Kim Si-yeol from Jeonju University’s Department of Local Venture Studies discussed issues related to the assessment of inventive step by technical experts and the use of artificial intelligence in the invention process.

Kim Ji-su, Head of the Intellectual Property Strategy Planning Group at the National Intellectual Property Committee, stated, "This conference was a meaningful occasion to jointly explore cooperation measures for harmoniously developing technological innovation and intellectual property protection between Korea and ASEAN in the AX era, where industries are rapidly reorganizing around artificial intelligence following the emergence of ChatGPT." He added, "We will do our best to maintain close cooperative relations between Korea and ASEAN in the field of intellectual property through active promotion of the '2024 Korea-ASEAN Vision' and other initiatives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.