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The past year marked an important turning point in the development of the regulatory ecosystem for intellectual property (IP) across Asia. Strides have been made to better harmonise patent laws between countries, while discussions gained momentum around balancing copyright protections in the digital era. In this annual list, we highlight the best firms for IP work in the Asian region.

 

Sweeping legal change, disruptive new technologies and evolving social attitudes all factor into how IP is understood and protected. Driven by rapid technological advancement, the growing globalisation of creative works and a rising appreciation of the value of IP assets, the IP sector has undergone a major transformation.

Notable developments included breakthroughs in content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and new international agreements on setting uniform patent standards. They paved the way to ensure innovation and creative works can continue to thrive despite digital disruptions.

As the economic value of IP rose, many Asian countries hit the ground running and overhauled their IP frameworks to support the booming digital economy.

 

JAPAN

On Jun. 14, 2023, Japan passed the Act for Partial Revision of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, known as Act No. 51. This comprehensive law updated several IP statutes, including the Unfair Competition Prevention Law, Trademark Law, Design Law, Patent Law and Utility Model Law.

As digital technology and the internet become commonplace, the online display and sale of counterfeit goods have proliferated. The amended Unfair Competition Prevention Law now considers the online offering or transaction of imitation products in the digital realm to be a form of unfair competition.

Previously, the Japanese Trademark Law did not allow for the registration of a trademark that was deemed similar to an existing registered mark. However, this amendment introduces a “Letter of Consent” policy, opening the door to a new approach. Under this policy, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) can now permit registration of a mark if the rights holder of similar mark consent, as long as registration does not cause a likelihood of confusion among consumers or traders.

According to the Design Act, a published design could not be registered if the publication occurred prior to the application filing. Previously, an exception existed where a declaration submitted within one year of publication would consider the design unpublished. In such cases, creators or other parties were required to submit evidence of publication for each instance. With this amendment, only a single submission of evidence is now needed, regardless of the number of times a design was published.

These revisions show that Japan is ramping up efforts to modernise IP laws and better meet the evolving needs of businesses in the digital age.

 

CHINA

China courts received 544,126 different IP rights cases through 2023, according to a report in April 2024 by the Status of Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Chinese Courts (2023), released by the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of China. Of those, 544,112 had been adjudicated.

Among the 462,176 first-instance civil cases through the year, there were 44,711 patent cases – a year-on-year increase of 14.73 percent. Trademark cases totalled 131,429, rising 16.85 percent year-on-year.

The number of copyright cases fell to 251,687, a decline of 1.57 percent year-on-year. Technology contract cases saw 6,492 filed, a 53.19 percent jump year-on-year. Competition cases reached 10,230, an 8.97 percent increase year-on-year. The 17,627 other case types represented a 0.51 percent decrease from the prior year.

In terms of penalties, Chinese courts applied punitive damages in 319 cases nationwide in 2023 – a 117 percent increase from the year before. The total damages awarded amounted to 1.16 billion renminbi, a 3.5 times increase year-over-year.

During a press conference, the SPC said it would further explore and improve China’s specialised IP litigation system. This includes accelerating plans to formulate a legislative proposal for the “Law on Special Procedures for Intellectual Property Litigation.”

The SPC has also said that it plans to further reform the “three-in-one” trial mechanism for civil, administrative, and criminal IP cases. Part of the plan is to consolidate jurisdiction over IP cases within 25 high people’s courts, 242 intermediate people’s courts, and 287 primary-level people’s courts nationwide.

In addition, China acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) in March 2023. The convention took effect in China in November and brings the country more in line with international standards.

Now, foreigners no longer need to go through the lengthy process of notarisation, validation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and legalisation by the Chinese Consulate to present documents in a legal procedure before a Chinese court. For private documents like a power of attorney given to a Chinese lawyer, simple notarisation is sufficient to obtain an apostille.

China also made some changes to retrial procedures by the SPC.

Due to a significant increase in civil litigation, the SPC faced a large influx of retrial applications. To manage this, it introduced a Pilot Program for Improving the Four Levels Court Trials in May 2021, which limited acceptable grounds for granting retrials. As a result, obtaining a retrial from the SPC for challenging cases became extremely difficult.

However, in July 2023, the SPC issued a Guiding Opinion on the Determination of Jurisdiction Concerning Elevation of Jurisdiction and Retrials of Cases, signalling a change in approach. The SPC announced it would now consider retrials for cases meeting specific criteria, such as those of nationwide significance, general importance in law application, legal issues requiring internal SPC discussion, cases promoting fair trials and other cases deemed worthy of retrial by the SPC.

China is also in the process of revising its Trademark Law, releasing a draft of the fifth amendment to the piece of legislation in January 2023. The process is likely to continue, with ongoing incremental changes.

In December 2023, the State Council issued the long-awaited Decision on Amending the Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China. The amendment provides specific practical details regarding aspects such as partial design patents, priority for designs filed in China, patent-term extensions, and an open licensing regime.

 

SOUTH KOREA

In South Korea, the total number of IP applications in 2023, encompassing patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks, remained stable at 556,600 – slightly exceeding the 2022 count of 556,436. This marginal 0.03 percent increase suggests steady growth in IP applications in the country and the relative maturity of the system.

Authorities adopted a series of policies to further streamline and improve regulatory processes.

For example, South Korea amended its Trademark Law and introduced a letter of consent system. Starting May 1, 2024, the country’s letter of consent system for similar trademarks will be implemented. This amendment to the Korean Trademark Act will allow new trademarks to be registered even if a pre-existing similar trademark exists, as long as a letter of consent accompanies the application.

The country also revised its Invention Promotion Act, including introducing an employee invention automatic succession system, document production and confidentiality order systems in litigation regarding compensation for employee inventions. These revisions will take effect on Aug. 7, 2024.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) made changes to its preferential examination system as well. It broadened the system’s scope to include advanced technologies like displays and secondary batteries. Concurrently, cases that no longer require urgent processing have been excluded from preferential examination. This reform aims to optimise the preferential examination process by focusing on technologies that require priority handling and streamlining the processing of cases that are no longer time sensitive.

 

INDIA

As countries worldwide work to modernise their legal systems amid constant technological, creative, and commercial changes, India is updating its laws to keep pace. Amendments to IP rights statutes and new policies tailored for the technology sectors aim to balance safeguarding intellectual assets with fostering homegrown innovation.

For example, the Indian government has unveiled plans to formulate a comprehensive action plan and framework to facilitate and establish IP financing in India. This strategic move aims to boost the nation’s financial position by harnessing the value of IP rights associated with patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, and other intellectual assets.

IP financing involves using IP rights as collateral in financial dealings to obtain credit, generate income and secure other financial benefits. This practice is gaining more recognition as it fosters financial innovation, expands access to credit and strengthens the capital base by allowing IP owners to leverage the value of their intangible assets.

In the biotechnology sphere, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) published guidelines in September 2023, establishing the principles and protocols for managing and transferring IP arising from publicly funded research in India. The guidelines underscore the importance of sharing research knowledge for public benefit and aim to streamline the process of transferring IP from academic institutions and research laboratories to facilitate commercialisation for broader societal impact.

 

ASEAN

When innovators can profit from their creations, it fosters even more innovation. IP protection is widely recognised as critical for economic development, especially in developing countries.

In August 2023, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a grouping of 10 countries, partnered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to launch the ASEAN Intellectual Property (IP) Register. This innovative online platform utilises an advanced information exchange system to serve as a centralised IP information portal for the region.

The ASEAN IP Register will consolidate the most up-to-date IP data from all ten ASEAN member states. This unified digital resource will provide stakeholders with a seamless experience to conduct comprehensive patent, trademark, and design searches across ASEAN countries.

This project sets out to help entrepreneurs, innovators and creators in ASEAN protect, commercialise and profit from their IP, transforming intangible assets into business opportunities in a thriving IP ecosystem. 

According to WIPO statistics from 2022, ASEAN saw remarkable IP application growth despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The region experienced notable increases in patent and industrial design applications, which rose 70 percent and 80 percent between 2012 and 2022, respectively. Additionally, trademark applications witnessed an impressive 110 percent growth. Based on these application trends, WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2023 projected the market value of ASEAN’s top brands to exceed $250 billion, highlighting the substantial worth of intangible assets in the ASEAN region.

The ASEAN IP Portal is an important digital tool designed to serve stakeholders in the IP community. It consolidates information on ASEAN IP systems, comparative IP-related data, and web links to ASEAN IP Offices into a single comprehensive online platform.

In Malaysia, a notable recent trademark dispute involved Malaysia Airlines and Firefly obtaining an interim injunction against AirAsia Com Travel. This legal injunction temporarily prevented AirAsia from using Malaysia Airlines’ trademarks or selling its tickets through AirAsia’s SuperApp platform until the final resolution of the case.

Simplifying trademark registration processes is a shared goal across ASEAN, with efforts focused on improving systems and streamlining procedures to support applications in different jurisdictions. The emphasis on simplification aims to enhance efficiency and facilitate a smoother experience for those seeking trademark protection.

Some smaller ASEAN jurisdictions have been rolling out updated trademark laws.

Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property has implemented a fast-track trademark examination process. The initiative aims to expedite reviews, ensuring applications are examined within six months of filing.

Vietnam’s amended Law on Intellectual Property (Amended IP Law) came into force on Jan. 1, 2023, marking the third update to the country’s IP Law since its enactment in 2005.

The year 2023 proved a milestone year for IP rights in the region as countries instituted substantial changes to regulations. The revision carried far-reaching implications for inventors, creators and businesses operating in diverse sectors, ultimately reshaping each jurisdiction’s legal framework for IP.

 

 

HONG KONG

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Baker McKenzie

Barron & Young

Bird & Bird

China Patent Agent (HK)

Deacons

Hogan Lovells

Rouse Consultancy

AWA Asia

CMS

DLA Piper

Dorsey & Whitney

Eagle IP

ELLALAN

Eversheds Sutherland

Fangda Partners

Gallant

Jones Day

Mayer Brown

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Morrison & Foerster

Nixon Peabody

Norton Rose Fulbright

OLN IP Services

Paul Hastings

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Robin Bridge & John Liu

Ropes & Gray

SIPS

Stephenson Harwood

Squire Patton Boggs

Tanner De Witt

Tiang & Partners

Wilkinson & Grist

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Baker McKenzie

Bird & Bird

Deacons

Hogan Lovells

Mayer Brown

MinterEllison

OLN IP Services

Rouse Consultancy

SIPS

Stephenson Harwood

AWA Asia

Clifford Chance

CMS

DLA Piper

Dorsey & Whitney

ELLALAN

Eversheds Sutherland

Fangda Partners

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Jones Day

Lewis Silkin

Morrison & Foerster

Nishimura & Asahi

Nixon Peabody

Norton Rose Fulbright

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Robin Bridge & John Liu

Ropes & Gray

Simmons & Simmons

Spruson & Ferguson

Squire Patton Boggs

Tanner De Witt

Tiang & Partners

Vivien Chan & Co

Wilkinson & Grist

 

 

INDIA

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Anand and Anand

K&S Partners

Khaitan & Co

Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan

Remfry & Sagar

Ahlawat & Associates

ANM Global

Athena Legal

AZB & Partners

Beruar & Beruar

Chadha & Chadha

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

Ediplis Counsels 

Fox Mandal & Associates

IndusLaw

Inttl Advocare

InventIP Legal Services

Khurana & Khurana

LexOrbis

Majmudar & Partners Legal

Mansukhlal Hiralal & Co

Naik Naik & Co

Obhan & Associates

Rahul Chaudhry & Partners

R.K. Dewan & Co

S&A Law Offices

Saga Legal

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Singh & Singh

Subramaniam & Associates

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Anand and Anand

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

IndusLaw

K&S Partners

Khaitan & Co

Remfry & Sagar

Saikrishna & Associates

Ahlawat & Associates

ANM Global

Athena Legal

AZB & Partners

Beruar & Beruar

Chadha & Chadha

Ediplis Counsels

Fidus Law Chambers

Fox Mandal & Associates

Inttl Advocare

InventIP Legal Services

Krishnamurthy & Co./K Law

L&L Partners

Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan

LexOrbis

Mansukhlal Hiralal & Co

Mason & Associates

Naik Naik & Co

Rahul Chaudhry & Partners

R.K. Dewan & Co

RNA Technology and IP Attorneys

S&A Law Offices

Saga Legal

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Subramaniam & Associates

Sujata Chaudhri IP Attorneys

ZeusIP

 

 

INDONESIA

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Am Badar & Am Badar

Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners

Januar Jahja & Partners

Rouse (in association with Suryomurcito & Co)

SKC Law

Tilleke & Gibbins

Assegaf Hamzah & Partners

Biro Oktroi Roosseno

Inter Patent Office

Roosdiono & Partners

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Hadiputranto Hadinoto & Partners

Januar Jahja & Partners

K&K Advocates

Rouse (in association with Suryomurcito & Co)

SKC Law

Acemark IP

Am Badar & Am Badar

Assegaf Hamzah & Partners

Biro Oktroi Roosseno

Inter Patent Office

Roosdiono & Partners

Tilleke & Gibbins

 

 

JAPAN DOMESTIC

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Abe Ikubo & Katayama

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Nakamura & Partners

Nishimura & Asahi

TMI Associates

Abe & Partners

Atsumi & Sakai

Fukami Patent Office

Kubota Patent and Law Office

Itoh International Patent Office

Miura & Partners

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Ohno & Partners

Seiwa Patent & Law

Shiga International Patent Office

Shusaku · Yamamoto

Sugimura & Partners

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Abe, Ikubo & Katayama

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Atsumi & Sakai

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto

Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Nakamura & Partners

Nishimura & Asahi

TMI Associates

Fukami Patent Office

Kubota Patent and Law Office

Itoh International Patent Office

Miura & Partners

Oh-Ebashi LPC & Partners

Ohno & Partners

Seiwa Patent & Law

Shiga International Patent Office

Shusaku- Yamamoto

Soei Patent & Law Firm

Sugimura & Partners

 

 

JAPAN INTERNATIONAL

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Baker McKenzie

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner

Hogan Lovells

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Morrison & Foerster

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

China Patent Agent (HK)

Foley & Lardner

Mayer Brown

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan

Ropes & Gray

Squire Patton Boggs

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Baker McKenzie

Hogan Lovells

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Morrison & Foerster

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner

Foley & Lardner

Mayer Brown

Squire Patton Boggs

 

 

MALAYSIA

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

LAW Partnership

Shearn Delamore & Co

Skrine

Wong & Partners

ZICO IP

Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff

Christopher & Lee Ong

GAN Partnership

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

Nishimura & Asahi

Pintas Consulting Group

Rahmat Lim & Partners

Raja, Darryl & Loh

Shook Lin & Bok

Tay & Partners

Wong Jin Nee & Teo

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

LAW Partnership

Shearn Delamore & Co

Shook Lin & Bok

Skrine

Tay & Partners

Wong & Partners

Wong Jin Nee & Teo

 ZICO IP

Chooi & Company + Cheang & Ariff

Christopher & Lee Ong

GAN Partnership

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

Marks & Clerk

Nishimura & Asahi

Pintas Consulting Group

Rahmat Lim & Partners

Raja, Darryl & Loh

 

 

PHILIPPINES

PATENTS/ COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

ACCRALAW

Cruz Marcelo and Tenefrancia

Quisumbing Torres

SyCip Salazar, Hernandez & Gatmaitan

Villaraza & Angangco

Baranda & Associates

Bengzon Negre Untalan

Betita Cabilao Casuela Sarmiento

C&G Law

Carag Caballes Jamora & Somera

Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose

Federis & Associates

Gulapa & Lim

SKY Law

Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles

 

 

SINGAPORE

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Allen & Gledhill

Amica Law

Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow

Bird & Bird ATMD

Dentons Rodyk   

Drew & Napier

Marks & Clerk 

Rajah & Tann

CMS

Davies Collison Cave

Donaldson & Burkinshaw

Eversheds Sutherland

Gateway Law Corporation

Joyce A. Tan & Partners 

JurisAsia

Lee & Lee

Mayer Brown

Mirandah Asia

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Nishimura & Asahi

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Ravindran Associates

RHTLaw Asia

Shook Lin & Bok

Spruson & Ferguson

Stephenson Harwood

WongPartnership

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

Allen & Gledhill

Amica Law

Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow

Bird & Bird ATMD

Dentons Rodyk 

Drew & Napier

WongPartnership

CMS

Davies Collison Cave

Donaldson & Burkinshaw  

Eversheds Sutherland

Gateway Law Corporation

Joyce A. Tan & Partners

JurisAsia

Lee & Lee

Marks & Clerk

Mayer Brown

Mirandah Asia

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Nishimura & Asahi

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Rajah & Tann

Ravindran Associates

RHTLaw Asia

Robinson

Shook Lin & Bok

Spruson & Ferguson

Stephenson Harwood

 

 

SOUTH KOREA

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

TIER 3

Bae, Kim & Lee

Kim & Chang

Lee & Ko

Ropes & Gray

Shin & Kim

Yoon & Lee International Patent & Law Firm

Yoon & Yang

Yulchon

DR & AJU

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner

Lee International IP & Law Group

AIP Patent & Law Firm

Koreana Patent Firm

Muhann Patent & Law Firm

YOU ME Patent & Law Firm

Y.P. Lee Mock & Partners

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

TIER 3

Bae, Kim & Lee

Kim & Chang

Lee & Ko

Shin & Kim

Yoon & Yang

Yulchon

AJU Kim Chang & Lee

DR & AJU

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner

KBK Patent Law Office

Lee International IP & Law Group

Ropes & Gray

Cho & Partners

Jipyong

Muhann Patent & Law Firm

YP Lee Mock & Partners

 

 

THAILAND

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

TIER 3

Baker McKenzie

Domnern Somgiat & Boonma

Tilleke & Gibbins

ILCT

Rouse

Satyapon & Partners

SCL Nishimura & Asahi

ZICO IP

Ananda IP

Dej-Udom & Associates

ILAWASIA

LawPlus

Rajah & Tann

TMI Associates

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

 

Baker McKenzie

Domnern Somgiat & Boonma

Tilleke & Gibbins

ZICO IP

ILAWASIA

ILCT

LawPlus

Rouse

Satyapon & Partners

SCL Nishimura & Asahi

Ananda IP

Rajah & Tann

Siam Premier International

TMI Associates

 

 

VIETNAM

PATENTS

TIER 1

TIER 2

TIER 3

Baker McKenzie

Pham & Associates

Tilleke & Gibbins

Vision & Associates

D&N International

RHTLaw Vietnam

Rouse

ZICO Law

Allen & Gledhill

BROSS & Partners

Hogan Lovells

Indochine Counsel

Investip

IPMAX Law Firm

Lee & Ko

Mayer Brown

Nishimura & Asahi

Phuoc & Partners

Rajah & Tann

Shin & Kim

TMI Associates

COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARKS

TIER 1

TIER 2

 

Baker McKenzie

BROSS & Partners

IPMAX Law Firm

Pham & Associates

Tilleke & Gibbins

Vision & Associates

D&N International

Hogan Lovells

Indochine Counsel

Investip

RHTLaw Vietnam

Rouse

Ageless IP Attorneys & Consultants

Allen & Gledhill

Frasers Law Company

Lee & Ko

LNT & PARTNERS

Mayer Brown

Nishimura & Asahi

Phuoc & Partners

Rajah & Tann

Schmitt & Orlov

Shin & Kim

TMI Associates

ZICO Law

 

 

METHODOLOGY

OUR RESEARCH

  • The research covers the period spanning from February 2023 to February 2024. This includes both ongoing work (contentious and non-contentious) and matters that were closed during this timeframe.
  • ALB will draw information from firm submissions, interviews, editorial resources and market suggestions to identify and rank the top firms for Intellectual Property in Asia. Interviews will be conducted only if needed.
  • The IP rankings will be separated into two tables: "Patent" and "Trademark/Copyright". The rankings will also be divided into tiers, with the first tier identifying the strongest IP firms in each jurisdiction.
  • The rankings will cover the following jurisdictions: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. There will be no Asia-wide table.
  • The rankings will feature both domestic and international firms. The following jurisdictions will have separate tables for domestic firms and international firms: Japan.
  • Our research does not cover Australia and New Zealand.

OUR RANKINGS

Our rankings are based on the following metrics:

  • The volume, complexity and size of work undertaken
  • Presence across Asia and in individual jurisdictions
  • Key personnel hires and growth of the practice group
  • Key clients and new client wins
  • Firm's visibility and profile in the region
  • Year-on-year development and momentum

 

TO CONTACT EDITORIAL TEAM, PLEASE EMAIL ALBEDITOR@THOMSONREUTERS.COM

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