India has faced scrutiny in recent years over its ability to protect the IP rights of all stakeholders and efficiently foster innovation. At the end of 2014, a draft National IPR Policy was released for public comment. The draft provides a clear roadmap for India’s IP regime, and lays the initial groundwork for strengthening the country’s IP ecosystem. Kanishk Verghese reports.

Australian IP law firm Davies Collison Cave (DCC) is set to open an office in Singapore in the second half of 2015.

Amendments to Japan’s intellectual property laws, which were passed in 2014, took effect on April 1 this year. Some marquee changes include the introduction of non-traditional trademarks and a new patent opposition system in Japan. Kanishk Verghese reports

Boutique Indian IP law firms Lall & Sethi and Singh & Singh are merging, according to the website Bar & Bench (B&B). The new firm, named “Singh & Singh Lall & Sethi” will have nine partners and 27 lawyers. The merger will be effective Apr.1.

In the past few years, Asia has experienced a gamut of IP monetisation and financing programmes, spearheaded by leading government agencies and government-backed financial institutions. Malaysia is no exception to these developments.

With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community slated for late 2015, ASEAN members are seeking to modernise their IP regimes to meet key objectives set out in the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan. Indonesia, ASEAN’s largest economy and most populous country, has been criticised for its weak IP regime and its relatively toothless enforcement efforts. The country is taking major strides to dispel those views by amending its Copyright law, tabling significant changes to its Trademark law and ramping up its enforcement activity. Kanishk Verghese reports

The 2nd Annual Korea IP Conference brought together 100 of Korea’s topnotch IP experts under the support of Yulchon LLC, the Licensing Executives Society Korea, the Internet address Dispute Resolution Committee and the Korea In-House Counsel Association.

Asian Legal Business (ALB) has identified and ranked the top law firms for intellectual property across Asia in its 2014 IP Rankings.

Building on the success of the 2013 IP Conference series, ALB held its inaugural Japan IP Conference on April 15, 2014, attracting more than 100 of Japan’s leading senior counsel, brand protection experts, IP managers and litigators to the heart of Tokyo’s Akasaka business district.

Tay & Partners has hired Lim Bee Yi as an IP partner in Kuala Lumpur from Shook Lin & Bok.