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The ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk Guide: Intellectual Property and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015

The goal of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is regional economic integration in ASEAN by 2015.

Description

The AEC envisages the following key characteristics: (a) a single market and production base, (b) a highly competitive economic region, (c) a region of fair economic development, and (d) a region fully integrated into the global economy. As the AEC takes steps to become a more internally-accessible market through the introduction of free movement of capital and investment, goods, services and certain skilled labour, many challenges relating to the protection of valuable intellectual property (IP) across the AEC will arise. This guide from the ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk will take SMEs through the AEC’s planned changes to IPR systems as well as recommended next steps SMEs can take to protect their IP.