Launched in 2024 under the European Union – Association of Southeast Asian Nations Sustainable Connectivity Package (EU-ASEAN SCOPE Partnership), the SCOPE Intellectual Property Rights (SCOPE IPR) aims to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement across the ASEAN region.
SCOPE IPR builds on the EU’s continued support for IP rights protection in ASEAN, following the successful implementation of the ARISE+ IPR project (2018-2023). With SCOPE IPR, the EU continues to strengthen IP frameworks and foster collaboration across the region, ensuring ongoing progress in IP rights protection.
Running until April 2028, the SCOPE IPR project will drive collaboration and the convergence of IP practices, helping businesses, governments and individuals safeguard IP in an increasingly connected world. By promoting harmonisation and cooperation among ASEAN Member States (AMS), SCOPE IPR seeks to create better conditions for trade, investment and innovation, emphasising the protection of IP rights.
The SCOPE IPR objectives are to:
- improve the legal and regulatory IP frameworks, enabling AMS to participate fully in global IP protection systems;
- develop ASEAN IPR policy frameworks, particularly the ASEAN IPR Action Plan and regional platforms;
- organise networking activities for the ASEAN IP offices to improve their capacity to deliver timely and quality services;
- carry out capacity building on IP for the private sector and raise IP awareness among relevant stakeholders and the wider public.
The SCOPE IPR has been designed to pursue the objectives by focusing on four expected results:
- Enhanced capacities of AMS to improve their IP legal and regulatory frameworks in line with global protection systems.
- Created new opportunities for coordination and joint action under a new ASEAN IPR Action Plan.
- Increased technical capacities of ASEAN IP offices or other competent authorities to deliver timely and quality services.
- Increased awareness of private sector actors and citizens in AMS on the creation, protection, use and commercialisation of IP rights.