As AEC integration moves closer, the EU and ASEAN are becoming increasingly similar. What follows are some of the key points regarding integration and IP as experienced in the EU, and the lessons they provide for governments and IP owners in ASEAN.

While it is expected that the AEC harmonization will significantly boost the region’s economy and attract greater foreign investment, the harmonization will also undoubtedly present a host of challenges for the ASEAN nations to address. Among the key challenges posed by integration, ASEAN member states will need to implement an effective system for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property within the AEC.

In 2010, more than 50 percent of surveyed businesses in Vietnam used electronic means, such as e-mail or websites, to carry out their trading activities. Over the past six years, Vietnam has developed a legal framework that aims to facilitate online transactions, provide confidence in their legal validity, and at the same time protect the interest of consumers. Behind this development was the commitment made by Vietnam and other ASEAN member countries to implement a harmonized legal infrastructure for e-commerce in the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

Italian-Thai Development Plc, a major Thai construction company, has been making headlines in the region due to its major investment in building the Dawei Deep-Sea Port and Infrastructure Project in Myanmar. Located roughly 300 kilometers from the Thai border, this USD 8.6 billion project will open the gate for import and export of goods from countries to the east of Thailand, like Cambodia, and those to the north, like Laos and China, through Thailand to Myanmar via Kanchanaburi province.

This article first appeared on WTR Daily, part of World Trademark Review, in December 2011. For further information, please visit www.worldtrademarkreview.com.

The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) was signed in 1995, and among its goals was “to liberalize trade in services by expanding the scope and depth of liberalization beyond those undertaken by Member States under the GATS with the aim to realize a free trade area in services” (Article 1(c)). As a general matter, AFAS adopts the same four modes of supply as used in GATS, including (1) cross-border supply, (2) consumption abroad, (3) commercial presence, and (4) presence of natural persons.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional association composed of the ten countries comprising Southeast Asia—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Situated in a region covering an area of 4.46 million km² (equivalent to approximately 3% of the total land area of the earth), these countries are home to a burgeoning population of 600 million people, which is nearly 9% of the world’s population. As a single economic block, its combined nominal GDP of USD 2 trillion ranks ninth in the world.

Wrongful death claims can result in the assessment of civil and criminal penalties on parties that may be far removed from the negligent actor. The impact could be seen on officers and directors, manufacturers and dealers, employees and employers, agents and principals, insured and insurers, among others. This article is written for corporations and their officers and directors and includes an overview of wrongful death actions, significant components of awards, and protection mechanisms.