Sixty (60) officials from all ASEAN Member States, Australia, and New Zealand, attended a two-day virtual workshop on 15 - 16 June 2021, to improve understanding of quality and enhance capacity to design and implement trademark quality management practices. The workshop is part of the 'AANZFTA Enhancement of Trade Mark Quality Management' Project, led by IP Australia, under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP).

Improving the overall quality of trade mark products by implementing quality management standards and practices is imperative to ensuring greater predictability and consistency across internal IP Office decision-making for the benefit of customers.

More consistent examination decisions and established quality management practices will contribute to increased business confidence to engage in IP systems, directly supporting businesses to engage in the region. This support is p precious for AANZFTA businesses and their economic recovery post-COVID-19. Improving quality practices of IP Offices in the region will also strengthen and develop IP infrastructures resulting in a more robust ASEAN IP system.

Presentations from IP Australia, the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) provided an overview of the existing quality systems in these IP Offices and perspectives from a range of experts on the value of quality management. Following the findings from the Gap Analysis, the workshop also covered topics related to the principles that underpin a quality management system, establishing quality standards, the merits and drawbacks of various quality review models, and the process of implementing and maintaining a quality management system from a resources and tools perspective.

Across the two days, officials explored key trademark quality concepts and shared experiences to increase their understanding of quality principles and enhance the capacity of IP Offices to implement or improve their quality practices. Following the workshop's outcome, an interim action plan will be developed to guide the IP Offices in implementing the activities leading up to the second workshop.

"We believe that through quality management standards and practices, our IP offices can offer and deliver more efficient, consistent and predictable IP services to businesses and IP owners," said Nelson Laluces, Deputy Director-General, Bureau of Trade Marks, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines – AANZFTA Intellectual Property Committee ASEAN Co-Chair.

"The opportunity to learn from one another, learn from our mistakes and our successes and adapt it to our own home offices is of a great benefit for all of us," Rebecca James, Manager of Trade Marks and GI, Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand – AANZFTA Intellectual Property Committee New Zealand Co-Chair added.

The workshop was organised and delivered by IP Australia, with support from the ASEAN Secretariat. The second workshop will be held in the third quarter of 2021.

For more information on this project or the AECSP, please contact the AANZFTA Support Unit via a contact form at https://aanzfta.asean.org/contact-aanzfta. 

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