Interview with Benoît Tardy, IP Business Advisor at South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk.
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This week, we interviewed Benoît Tardy, IP Business Advisor at South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk. He provided an in-depth overview of the SEA HD, including the free services it offers, the key IP challenges faced by businesses entering Southeast Asian markets, and much more.
EuroCham: Can you provide an overview of the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk (SEA HD)?
Benoît: The SEA HD is an initiative of the European Commission which supports small and medium sized enterprises from the European Union (EU) to both protect and enforce their Intellectual Property (IP) rights in or relating to South-East Asian countries.
We are a first line IP assistance service for SMEs/start-ups/entrepreneurs from the EU offering a large range of services: basic information, tailored advice and trainings, an extensive library of publications plus online tools.
All our services are free of charge and are also available to SMEs from the other countries of the Single Market Programme (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania).
Should you wish to learn more about us you may visit our official website or send us an email at expert@sea-iphelpdesk.eu.
EuroCham: What are the unique IP challenges that companies face when entering Southeast Asian markets?
Benoît: First of all, counterfeiting and piracy are rampant in the region so you must be prepared before coming to South-East Asia (SEA). Secondly, IP laws and practice are different from the EU. Even within SEA, you would be surprised to find out the rich diversity of laws, rules and requirements.
When talking with EU SMEs, you often discover a lack of IP knowledge and limited resources (budget and staff headcount) which are key to protect intangible assets in due time. Generally, companies would dive into the topic of IP at a later development stage of activities in a new country or region thus realizing it is either too late to protect their IP rights or discovering than third parties unlawfully registered their own assets.
There are many challenges awaiting European companies in SEA and the key is to be aware of the risks ahead. The SEA HD is here to help them make IP-driven decisions and protect their assets outside of the EU.
EuroCham: Can you share some examples of how the 1-to-1 consultation service has directly benefited SMEs?
Benoît: The 1-to-1 consultation is a special service offered by the SEA HD which enables EU SMEs/start-ups/entrepreneurs from the EU to book a confidential virtual meeting with the IP Business Advisor based in Vietnam (myself). The discussion may cover any IP topic in SEA as long as the eligibility criteria to benefit from our support are met.
Recently, we had the opportunity to:
- Advise a Spanish SME (furniture industry) on how to best protect its designs in several countries of SEA,
- Provide support to a Dutch SME (waste management projects) for the negotiation of an IP clause before signing a local partnership agreement in Indonesia and
- Discuss with a Spanish entrepreneur (architect) about the IP strategy to protect software and secure the ownership of rights when consultants are involved.
Each consultation is different and there is no official limit neither for the duration, nor for the number of meetings needed.
EuroCham: How important is it for SMEs to stay updated on IP-related developments in Southeast Asia, and what resources does the Helpdesk offer in this regard?
Benoît: IP is quite dynamic and has to adapt to new trends and innovations. Sometimes, this will lead to amending an existing IP law or to drafting a new decree / updating practical guidelines. For example, there are currently a lot of discussions in the region regarding the impact of Artificial Intelligence on IP (notably regarding ownership issues of Copyright and Patents) and it is interesting to follow how each country of SEA is handling this topic.
It is not easy to find reliable and updated IP information which is also available for free and in English about the region on Internet so the SEA HD could be your go-to source.
Our website comprises a lot of free information on many different IP-related topics from our Country Factsheets (publications covering everything you need to know about IP in one country of SEA) to IP Guides (covering a wide range of topics like special focus on a sector industry or an IP right in SEA) and even our super useful infographics. All publications are available in English and may be downloaded into PDF format which is quite convenient to disseminate information.
The SEA HD is always active in the region and on social media therefore do not miss our future events and updates. Subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on LinkedIn!
EuroCham: Is there anything else you would like to discuss/share?
Benoît: Do not miss a unique opportunity to learn more about IP for free : the protection of IP rights, the enforcement avenues but also the tips to build an efficient IP strategy. Send us your IP-related questions and we look forward to supporting you !
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