Data is crucial to innovation and the intellectual property system. Having access to a massive database is useful in conducting comprehensive search and ensuring the patentability or registrability of a trademark in fast moving markets. Being able to manage information, analyze it at scale, and create actionable insights from it are the next step forward for IP offices around the world. This will be a game changer.

At the recent World Intellectual Property Organization ASEAN IP Strategic Forum, IP offices and IT experts talked about “Harnessing the Potential of the ASEAN IP Register for a Stronger Regional IP Ecosystem.”

Many shared the latest digital tools in IP offices. Inevitably, AI took center stage. IP offices showed how AI can improve examination management, prior art search, trademark and patent classification, image search, copyright registration, translation and even help desk services.

AI also holds the power to carry out more sophisticated functions such as predicting litigation results, helping draft patent applications and license agreements, valuing IP and forecasting returns from IP, among other things.

Industry stakeholders, like analytics provider Clarivate, shared their insights on the emerging uses of AI, particularly in how it can help form starting models for biological discovery and even provide robo-advisors on legal issues.

ASEAN IP Register

The new ASEAN IP Register also grabbed the spotlight in discussions. The ASEAN IP Register is a centralized information portal carrying the latest IP data on the 10 ASEAN member states. Member states shared ongoing and planned initiatives to promote the IP register and expand its use as a platform for data sharing.

For the ASEAN community, this means having access to real-time application and registration, enabling SMEs to make strategic business decisions and gather information for potential collaborators and partners for licensing.

In the future, we envisage the ASEAN IP Register to allow businesses to manage their IP portfolio, build on AI-enabled search and classification, access IP filing trends and leverage WIPO’s full suite of Patentscope, Global Trademark Database and other functions.

Business intelligence

IPOPHL, for our part, focused on the power of leveraging data for making strategic decisions. We presented our internal business intelligence platform, which boasted models that dive into the numbers on a granular scale, whether these are historical data, revenue-forecasting analysis, heatmaps which show the concentration of IP applications, productivity and transaction outputs, and even our awareness goals.

IPOPHL is equipped to monitor the full IP landscape down to the cities that are driving the IP scene to areas that may be in need of greater assistance.

With our BI platform — which we launched in 2020 despite the pandemic — IPOPHL is equipped to monitor the full IP landscape down to the cities that are driving the IP scene to areas that may be in need of greater assistance in turning their ideas to market-ready products and services. Our model also provides advanced services that complement our focus on providing fast and convenient online services to stakeholders.

As we aggressively turn to data and predictive and analytical tools to improve our services, we all hope IP offices like IPOPHL can further fulfill their transformation from an administration office to a critical innovation driver.