The China Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) SME Helpdesk was launched in May 2008 to support European SMEs in the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property rights in relation to China business. The Helpdesk is funded by the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission and complements existing EU-China joint initiatives on IPR. It provides free information, first line advice and training for SMEs to help with their decision-making.
The ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk project commenced in December 2012 and was re-launched as the South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk in 2014. It is also funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR) in line with the EU’s overall competitiveness strategy as outlined in the Europe 2020 flagship Communication on an Integrated Industrial Policy, the Small Business Act for Europe, and the new European Industrial Policy communication.
The South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk supports European SMEs in the protection and enforcement of their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) when dealing and doing business with ASEAN countries (Brunei-Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). Addressing the needs of SMEs and supporting self-help approaches, Helpdesk services and information deliver jargon-free, first-line advice on intellectual property and related issues.
These initiatives were launched in response to the needs of European SMEs for jargon-free practical help on IP issues. They also offer support to those European SMEs already encountering issues of IPR enforcement in China and South-East Asia by providing practical on-the-ground orientation. For more information about the China and South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesks, please visit their web sites via www.ipr-hub.eu.
