Europe and Asia Drive Forward the Patent Agenda

”According to a study by the IP Academy, patents from this region accounted for 23% of total patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1995. This has risen to 30% within the last decade, with the fastest growth rates in recent years coming from emerging economies of China and India. Patents have also become increasingly specialised over the years.”

“A forum not just for the knowledge sharing but a meeting place for idea exchanges and interaction between public and private sectors, client & value-added service providers who share the same belief in using patents as a strategic asset to create value and developing skills in patent information and leveraging it for competitive advantage.”

“I am pleased to note the progress of patents developments in Asia. This proves that the past series of EAPICs has resulted in the minds of interested stakeholders as an iconic forum where national IP offices, industry players, IP professionals, services providers and technology transfer professionals – all look forward to attending.”

“Expanding the role of EAPIC to include IP management dovetails with the increasing awareness shown by the industry of the need to integrate IP into their business decision making processes and strategies. Sound IP management practices will help them identify these assets and, more importantly, assess how they can create value.”

This year’s EAPIC will see distinguished international IP practitioners, academics, policy decision-makers and IP professionals present topics on patent management and information. There will also be workshops providing hands-on tutorials on patents searches in biotech, information, communications and technology sectors as well as patent information updates.

Alongside with EAPIC 2006, Singapore is also hosting the Heads of IP Offices Conference, in which national agencies and policy makers meet to discuss key issues affecting patents and strategies to meet the challenges of the 21st century. An area of shared concern is how national IP offices can better manage resources and balance efficiency with quality of examination in dealing with the ever-increasing numbers of patents received each year.

About Eapic
An annual event, jointly organised by the IPOS & EPO, EAPIC provides a platform for businesses to gain knowledge on the various facets of patent information, and on how new tools & services may be applied throughout the various stages of Intellectual Property (IP) Management. EAPIC continues to draw targeted audiences from the patent information practitioners, as well as professionals from the industry and academia. For more information about EAPIC 2006, please visit here.

About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore or IPOS is the lead government agency that formulates and regulates Intellectual Property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the greater development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’ vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. Formerly known as the Registry of Trade Marks and Patents, IPOS was established as a statutory board of the Ministry of Law on 1 April 2001. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.

About EPO
The mission of the European Patent Office or EPO (www.european-patent-office.org) is to support innovation, competitiveness and economic growth for the benefit of the citizens of Europe. Its task is to grant European patents for inventions on the basis of a centralised procedure for the contracting states to the European Patent Convention (EPC), which was signed in Munich on 5 October 1973 and entered into force on 7 October 1977. The EPO is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation, an intergovernmental body set up under the EPC, whose members are the EPC contracting states. It has its headquarters in Munich, a branch at the Hague and offices in Berlin and Vienna. With its workforce of nearly 6,000 staff, the EPO is one of the largest intergovernmental organisations is Europe.

Supporting Organisations:

About APAA – Singapore Group
The Asian Patent Attorneys Association ("APAA") is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting and enhancing intellectual property protection in the Asian region (including Australia and New Zealand). Established in December 1969, the members of APAA include some of Asia’s leading practitioners of intellectual property law. The association now has nearly 2,000 members from 16 recognised Groups in Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam as well as from Brunei, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Myanmar and Nepal. www.apaaonline.org.

About Asian Societies Of LES
The Licensing Executives Society (LES) is located in various part of the world under the umbrella of Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) , each composed of men and women who have an interest in the transfer of technology, or licensing of intellectual property rights - from technical know how and patented inventions to software, copyright and trade marks. Asian Societies of LES is a group of nine LES societies located in Pan-asian region. www.lesi.org.

About SBF
As the APEX business chamber, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) champions the interests of the business community in Singapore, in trade, investment and industrial relations. Nationally, SBF acts as the bridge between the government and the businesses in Singapore to create a conducive business environment. Internationally, SBF represents the business community in bilateral, regional, multilateral for the purpose of trade expansion and business networking. For more information, please visit www.sbf.org.sg.

About SCCA
The Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA) was set up in 2002. It is the pioneer association representing in-house lawyers in Singapore, with more than 300 members, and many more inhousers on the mailing list. The main activities of the SCCA include regular seminars and a First Tuesday networking event. The website also has many useful features including online registrations for seminars and job openings. The current Chief Justice of Singapore, Chan Sek Keong, was our past patron. The current Attorney-General of Singapore, Chao Hick Tin, is our present patron. Both have given SCCA the objective of raising our membership numbers, while delivering good value to our members. www.scca.org.sg.

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