In several major areas of international trade'particularly software and technology transfer'a harmonised regime of intellectual property law is a crucial prerequisite to success. Yet this legal concept appears to be extraordinarily difficult to establish on any agreed-upon basis among countries. And nowhere has the sought-for harmonisation proven more intractable than in the countries of the Asia Pacific region. Intellectual Property Harmonisation in ASEAN and APEC investigates the complex issues that lie at the root of this major block to the unhampered global flow of commerce based on intangible assets. By highlighting the background of Asian legal systems, both in terms of culture and intellectual property systems, the authors suggest how the current obstacles towards greater harmonisation and integration may be overcome. Defining the accepted principles enshrined in TRIPS, the Paris Convention, and other international agreements, the presentation describes the relatively successful European experience and then goes on to develop strategic variations geared to relate more precisely to harmonisation, integration and co-operation in the East Asian region. Among the important elements of the problem (and its potential solutions) discussed in this book are the following: the strong influence of legal culture in the different Asian countries;the limits of IP harmonisation in Europe;the importance of understanding the political and cultural perceptions that prevail in the various Asian countries;the non-uniform approach of different Asian countries due in part to bilateral free trade agreements; andthe experience of patent office cooperation and its potential as a model for smaller countries. The contributing authors have all worked in the IP field for more than a decade and have followed closely the developments of intellectual property law since the advent of the TRIPS Agreement. Their collective expertise includes both academic and practical considerations on IP harmonisation. Intellectual Property Harmonisation in ASEAN and APEC will be of great value and interest to policymakers seeking effective enforcement of intellectual property rights, to international lawyers counseling clients on Asia, and to academics working in the fields of intellectual property or Asian law. MAX PLANCK SERIES ON ASIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW 10

In several major areas of international trade'particularly software and technology transfer'a harmonised regime of intellectual property law is a crucial prerequisite to success. Yet this legal concept appears to be extraordinarily difficult to establish on any agreed-upon basis among countries. And nowhere has the sought-for harmonisation proven more intractable than in the countries of the Asia Pacific region. Intellectual Property Harmonisation in ASEAN and APEC investigates the complex issues that lie at the root of this major block to the unhampered global flow of commerce based on intangible assets. By highlighting the background of Asian legal systems, both in terms of culture and intellectual property systems, the authors suggest how the current obstacles towards greater harmonisation and integration may be overcome. Defining the accepted principles enshrined in TRIPS, the Paris Convention, and other international agreements, the presentation describes the relatively successful European experience and then goes on to develop strategic variations geared to relate more precisely to harmonisation, integration and co-operation in the East Asian region. Among the important elements of the problem (and its potential solutions) discussed in this book are the following: the strong influence of legal culture in the different Asian countries; the limits of IP harmonisation in Europe; the importance of understanding the political and cultural perceptions that prevail in the various Asian countries; the non-uniform approach of different Asian countries due in part to bilateral free trade agreements; and the experience of patent office cooperation and its potential as a model for smaller countries. The contributing authors have all worked in the IP field for more than a decade and have followed closely the developments of intellectual property law since the advent of the TRIPS Agreement. Their collective expertise includes both academic and practical considerations on IP harmonisation. Intellectual Property Harmonisation in ASEAN and APEC will be of great value and interest to policymakers seeking effective enforcement of intellectual property rights, to international lawyers counseling clients on Asia, and to academics working in the fields of intellectual property or Asian law. MAX PLANCK SERIES ON ASIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW 10

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is actively seeking ways for member countries to enhance their individual economic development within the context of overall regional advancement. Central to this is the creation of a regional intellectual property framework. This book examines the efforts to move beyond sovereign protections of intellectual property rights and establish meaningful inter-state cooperation on intellectual property issues. Rather than aim for IP harmonization, ASEAN recognizes its internal diversity and pursues an agenda of 'IP Interoperability'. The essays in this collection examine the unique dynamics of 'interoperability', analyzing the administration of intellectual property in a part of the world that is of increasing importance. The book enables the reader to compare and contrast the ASEAN model to other approaches in regional cooperation, such as Europe and Latin America, and also explores private international law as a potential vehicle for interoperability.

This timely book provides a comprehensive survey of recent developments in intellectual property (IP) law within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, written by experienced scholars and practitioners in the field.

This book critically reviews the recurrent debate on Intellectual Property law and policy in developing countries carried out in the last decade. It identifies the still unresolved policy issues and proposes alternative approaches that resonate with the needs for transformation of the economic and social reality of developing countries. Focusing on emerging economies in Asia, the work draws the wider lessons to be learnt by researchers, policy makers, legislators and the business sector in general and concludes by putting forward proposals for reform.

This book examines the harmonisation of Intellectual Property (IP) policy, law and administration in Africa. Two recent developments have brought this topic to the fore. The first is the escalation of long-standing efforts to establish a Pan-African Intellectual Property Organisation (PAIPO), a continental initiative. The second is the current sub-regional attempt to operationalise the IP provisions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s Protocol on Trade (articles 9b and 24) and its Protocol on Science, Technology and Innovation (article 2m). Intellectual Property Policy, Law and Administration in Africa discusses the viability of such initiatives with particular reference to the current socio-economic status of Africa’s nations. With a view to contributing to future developments in Africa at both a continental and sub-regional level, the author considers this issue through the lens of advancing the public interest in IP. Ncube argues that harmonisation initiatives ought to be crafted in a way that is supportive of the development aspirations of African states. Consequently, she urges due consideration of individual states’ unique conditions and aspirations in any harmonisation venture, a necessity outlined in article 7 of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This book will be of great relevance to scholars and policy makers with an interest in IP law and African law in general.

The first part of this open access book sets out to re-examine some basic principles of trade negotiation, such as choosing the right representatives to negotiate and enhancing transparency as a cure to the public's distrust against trade talks. Moreover, it analyses how the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) might impact on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership's (RCEP) IP chapter and examines the possible norm setters of Asian IP. It then focuses on the People's Republic of China's (PRC) trade and IP strategy against the backdrop of the power games between the PRC, India and the US. The second part of the book reflects on issues related to investor–state dispute settlement and its relationship with IP, such as how to re-calibrate the balance in international investment arbitration, and whether compulsory license of IP constitutes expropriation in India, the PRC and select ASEAN countries. The third part of the book questions and strives to improve some of the proposed IP provisions of CPTPP and RCEP and to redefine some aspects of international IP norms, such as: pre-grant patent opposition and experimental use exception; patent term extension; patent linkage and data exclusivity for the pharmaceutical sector; plant variety protection; pre-established damages for copyright infringement; and the restructuring of copyright limitations in the public interest. The open access edition of this book is available under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia, School of Law, Singapore Management University.