2016

18 business advisors from the SME Centre @ Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SMCCI) and the SME Centre @ Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) attended a two-day customised programme on innovation and IP fundamentals, conducted by IP Academy.

What participants learnt

The two-day workshop was specially designed for SMEs in the Retail and Food & Beverage industries, with participants learning to identify and execute an IP strategy, and to extract value from an organisation’s intellectual assets. 

Participants were also taken through the commercialisation routes for IP, such as through franchising, licensing, a joint venture, or sales.The fundamentals of various IPs, such as trade secrets, patents, and trade marks, were explained to the business advisors by Daniel Collopy, Principal at Spruson & Ferguson and faculty members of IP Academy.

Contact

Find out more about our customised programmes on IP and innovation at www.ipacademy.com.sg!

Over 65 students from the South China University of Technology (SCUT), a top-ranking university in China, attended a customised programme by IP Academy on patents from 28-31 October 2016.

What participants learned (excerpts)

At this inaugural programme, the graduate students of SCUT’s IP School learned from Dr Jack Cheng, Faculty member of IP Academy, about the management of IP from the legal, business, and technological perspectives. They were also guided through US tech giant Apple’s patent deployment management strategy, as a case study on patent portfolio management.

The students also learned about IP intermediaries, such as non-practicing entities (NPEs) who hold patents as products but have no intention of developing them. These NPEs include universities and research organisations, and participants learned about their business models and how to go about commercialising IP via these intermediaries.

On the topic of patent valuation, the graduate students learned about the valuation process and methodologies, including the market, cost, and income approaches to valuing patents. They were also taken through the linkages between the value of patents and the financial statements of a company, which increasingly reflect such intangible assets in their reporting.

The graduate students from South China University of Technology and Dr Jack Cheng of IP Academy Singapore.

IP Academy in Greater China

As part of dedicated efforts to broaden reach into the region, IP Academy has established partnerships with top institutions from Greater China.

In recent years, IP Academy has signed Memoranda of Understanding and/or taught at Jinan University, Renmin University, the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, South China University of Technology, Sun Yat Sen University, and the International IP Commercialisation Council.

Contact

Interested in running a similar programme in China or Singapore, in Mandarin or English? Contact us to develop and conduct customised courses for your stakeholders or students, to learn more about the management of intellectual property!

The enforcement of IP rights was the focus of a recent five-day customised programme, which saw over 30 government officials from ASEAN countries attending.

Supported by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State, the workshop was organised by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Global IP Academy in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and IP Academy Singapore.

What participants learned (excerpts)

Touching on the challenges for brand owners in the Asia Pacific region, Abel Low, Brand Protection Manager (Asia Pacific) at Harley-Davidson noted that counterfeit merchandise is rampant in Asia, and is available in shopping malls, airports, ecommerce websites, and other sources. He noted that such products are often of poor quality, and that a key brand protection strategy is to go after the suppliers of such products, for example through factory raids.

Paul Le, Director of Global Security (Asia Pacific) at Pfizer noted consumer concerns with regard to counterfeit medicines, which pose serious threats to patients’ health and safety. He illustrated the unsanitary condition where such products are made, as well as the hazardous ingredients found in such products. He outlined the importance of partnering law enforcement and regulatory authorities to disrupt the flow of counterfeit medicines from reaching patients.

On the topic of utilising technology against counterfeiters, Matteo Vezzosi of NXP Semiconductors noted that modern supply chains allow counterfeits to enter at multiple points, such as in production or even the retail environment, thus making necessary a strong multi-layered defence. He outlined the ability of radio-frequency identification contactless technology to help identify and protect goods, due to its ability to authenticate, track and trace, and capture evidence of tampering.

Feedback from attendees

The insightful programme was well-received by participants, who had the following to say:

“The programme is very informative and helpful to develop an efficient process to deal with IPR issues in Brunei Darussalam. On top of that, we can (learn about) views and policy to combat counterfeit and infringement activities around the region.”

“Overall the course is well-organised and the speakers are experienced. The sharing sessions with the private sector speakers were good as we got to know what is happening on the ground.”

“It is an excellent workshop which incorporates various useful elements, not only in legislation but also in enforcement, and will lead to actual practical recommendations for my domestic agencies once I share it with them.”

Contact

Interested in running a similar programme for your organisation’s employees? Contact us to develop and conduct customised courses, enabling your stakeholders to protect and manage your intellectual property!

15 government officials from ASEAN and South Asian nations undertook a five-day customised training course on IP protection, which focused on Singapore and Japan’s IP protection and enforcement efforts.

Jointly sponsored by the Singapore Cooperation Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore (MFA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, this training course was conducted from 31 October to 4 November 2016 in Singapore.

The delegates were welcomed by Hidefusa Toshimitsu, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Singapore; Pearle Kuan, Assistant Director at MFA; and Chiam Lu Lin, Executive Director of IP Academy.

What participants learned (excerpts)

During the week-long programme, participants learned from distinguished speakers from Japan and Singapore, including from the Japan Patent Office, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Singapore, the State Courts, the IP Office of Singapore, BMW Group Asia and LEGO Singapore.

Professor Susanna Leong, Vice Dean at the National University of Singapore Business School, provided an overview of the international IP framework, which lay a comprehensive foundation for the week’s learnings. She explained the justifications for IP rights, for example as a form of incentive for creators, and took attendees through the historical background and international dimensions of IP, such as in cross-border trade treaties.

Barbara Wong, General Manager at the Recording Industry Association Singapore and Recording Industry Performance Singapore spoke of the challenges of piracy, such as the difficulty in identifying the owners of torrent websites. In addressing this, she noted the importance of cooperation with government agencies and industry stakeholders, as well as continual efforts to educate the public on the importance of respecting IP.

Shinji Igarashi, Deputy Director at the International Cooperation Division of Japan Patent Office (JPO), touched on legislation of industrial property rights system in Japan, as well as anti-counterfeiting measures by the JPO. He shared JPO’s efforts in raising consumer awareness, such as through an annual anti-counterfeiting campaign, and the posting of staff to the Japan IP High Court to assist judges in cases involving highly technical matters.

Feedback from attendees

Attendees found the sessions enlightening and helpful, and a selection of their comments include:

“I’m very honoured to attend this training course. Apart from learning from the speakers’ presentations, this training course also included visits to State Courts, National Design Centre, LEGO Singapore as well as IP Academy and IPOS. Excellent.”

“The programme was very effective. It provided adequate and insightful information which will be very useful for my own organisation in the future.”

“Thank you for inviting a delegate from the Philippines. This course kept the delegates abreast to the standards and policies of IPOS. Keep up the good work.”

Contact

Interested in running a similar programme for your organisation’s employees? Contact us to develop and conduct customised courses, enabling your stakeholders to protect and manage your intellectual property!

IP Academy held its inaugural Advanced IP Management Programme from 3-7 October 2016 in Singapore, hosting over 25 participants from 9 countries comprising China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

As an advanced level programme, the one-week course brought participants into a deep dive into IP management issues for a business like managing IP strategically, integrating intellectual asset management in the overall business strategy and leveraging IP for growth.

What participants learned (excerpts)

Touching on IP value creation and commercialisation, Nick Sim, Legal Counsel at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), noted how a business owner could turn his IP portfolio into revenue, such as through an active licencing plan, franchising, or cross-branding and collaborations.

Welly Tantano, Country Counsel for HP Enterprise (Singapore & Indonesia), outlined the process by which a business can identify, assess and protect its stock of IP. She noted that the business had to first take inventory of its IP, categorise them (e.g. core vs. non-core IP assets), rank them by priority, and customise the process by which each individual IP should be protected.

Delving into IP challenges for business owners in ASEAN, Wendy Low, Partner at Rajah and Tann first ran through a comparison of the various IP regimes across ASEAN. She noted that business owners could tap on the ASEAN Patent Examination Co-operation (ASPEC) programme for regional patent filings, which can result in substantial time and cost savings, and enhanced quality of patent search and examination.

Hands-on learning

Throughout the week, participants worked on group projects which they presented to a panel comprising IP industry professionals from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, BP, ETPL, and IP Academy.

The groups came up with innovative products including a wearable drug delivery system, an emotion recognition interface software, and a smart shoe sole, and subsequently looked into the efficient management of the IP surrounding them.

This served as a comprehensive exercise in the practical application of the knowledge gained over the week.

Participants also gained valuable insights into real-world and current IP management best practices from study visits to Masai Barefoot Technology, the Procter & Gamble Company, and the WIPO Singapore office.

Feedback from attendees

Here is what some attendees had to say about the programme:

“The seminar as a whole provided a good opportunity to learn not only about the course content but also the landscape of different regimes.”

(On the IP commercialisation strategies presentation) “A good wealth of inside perspectives on how businesses can seek out technological partners was shared, which gives us new insights into the inner workings of tech transfer activities currently ongoing.”

“Well organised training programme with practical subjects. Perfect for IP managers. Look forward to putting into practice some of the tool we picked up today.”

Contact

Look out for the next edition of the Advanced IP Management Programme in 2017, or contact eric_khoo@ipacademy.com.sg to register your interest.

IP Academy saw an overwhelming response to a seminar on the basics of patents, “DIY Competitive and Technology Intelligence through Patent Search”, held on 30 September.

At the 2-hour session, almost 60 participants learned about the basics of patents and how to derive value from their patents.

(Top, left to right) Mr. Ron Awyong, Patent Attorney at Orion IP; Dr Veronica Oh, Manager (Enterprise & Innovation Hub) at the Singapore Institute of Technology. (Bottom, left to right) Ms. Sharon Chan, Senior Officer (Business Capabilities) at SPRING Singapore; Attendees networking after the session.

Participants also learnt how to conduct a preliminary patent search, the strategy of designing around existing patents, and heard case studies on IP strategy development by small and medium-sized enterprises, before adjourning to a networking lunch.

Look out for more of such seminars on our website.

IP Academy conducted the IP Battlefront roundtable on 22 August 2016, which saw over 50 participants learn from China’s top IP directors about IP management strategies in the internet era.

Attendees heard from Ms Su Jing, IP Director at Baidu; Mr Fuller Li, CEO of Wondi Limited and former Director of Patent Operation at Tencent, and Professor Zhang Ping, Professor at Peking University's Law School and Director of the Institute for Internet Law.

At the half-day seminar, the speakers delved into IP issues in the internet era, the management of innovation and patent deployment (from the private sector’s perspective), as well as the challenges of IP licensing in the internet industry.

The roundtable was organised as part of IP Week @ SG 2016, and was supported by the Singapore Business Federation and the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City.

IP Academy’s Faculty are routinely invited to overseas engagements, including to speak at conferences or lecture to students abroad.

Some recent engagements by our Faculty include speaking at:

• Guangdong IP Office (Integration of innovation strategy with IP policy and talent training, Nov 2016)
• South China University of Technology (SCUT) Law/ IP School (Patent Analysis, Oct 2016)
• Renmin University Business School (IP Valuation and its Impact on Corporate Value, Sep 2016)
• Jinan University Law/IP School (Business Model and Litigation Trend of the Global IP Industry, Jun 2016)
• Sun Yat Sen University Business School (Intellectual Property Management, Jun 2016)
• Renmin University IP Academy/Business School (The Role of Patents in Co-opetition, Dec 2015)
• Jinan University Law/IP School (Analysing Enterprises’ IP Development Strategy from Litigation Perspective, and Career Development of IP Talent, Nov 2015)
• Ministry of Education Singapore (MOE IP Forum, Sep 2015)
• Renmin University Business School (Analysing Corporate Strategy from IP Deployment, Sep 2015)
• Channel NewsAsia (Between the Lines Programme, Aug 2015)
• Renmin University IP Academy, in collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition (Seminar on The Declaration of Patent Protection, July 2015)
• Asian Festival of Children’s Content Media Summit (by National Book Development Council of Singapore, Jun 2015)
• 19th SEAPAVAA Conference (by the South East Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association, Apr 2015)
• Renmin University IP Academy (Seminar on Patent Deployment Strategy and Intellectual Property Competency Framework, Apr 2015)
• Guangzhou Development District (Sino-Singapore Knowledge Forum, Sep 2014)
• South China University of Technology Law/IP School (IP Deployment Strategy Seminar, Sept 2014)