U.S. Embassy in Singapore

Good morning to our colleagues from the ASEAN Secretariat, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Timor Leste, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Cambodia, I say to you ស្វាគមន៍ [Svakom!]

From Laos and Thailand: ຍິນດີຕ້ອນຮັບ! [Yin-Dee-Dtaun-Rub]

Vietnam: hoan nghênh!

Philippines: Maligayang pagdating!

and

Indonesia/Malaysia/Brunei: Selamat dating!

Timor-Leste: Bemvindu!

It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the Intellectual Property and Digital Economy Workshop. This course is a part of the U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program, an enduring technical cooperation partnership first established almost a decade ago now. And as we all transition to a new version of normal, I would like to first recognize the efforts of my U.S. and Singaporean colleagues who have been excellent partners in making this program successful, no matter the circumstances. We could not do it without you.

Intellectual property is of critical importance to the global economy. To demonstrate this importance, earlier this year the U.S. Embassy hosted a World Intellectual Property Day event with the Intellectual Property Office and the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. The workshop brought together more than 50 participants from the region, stressing the importance of intellectual property in the digital arena. It is no coincidence then that this workshop also ties together these two domains.

With the rapidly evolving digital economy, data protection and intellectual property considerations have grown increasingly more important to many aspects of the global economy.

At the same time, partners throughout the region recognize that unfair trade practices impact everyone – especially entrepreneurs and small businesses. It’s the same when discussing intellectual property rights and enforcement.

The United States, Singapore, and other ASEAN members are heavily invested in strengthening intellectual property mechanisms and working together to create innovative solutions for evolving technologies.

Your participation in TCTP is a major part of achieving this goal. This workshop offers the opportunity to expand your regional network and develop critical expertise on intellectual property issues. I hope that you take advantage of this cross-cutting training and continue to work comprehensively across sectors and regions to advance these issues.

Welcome and enjoy the Intellectual Property and Digital Economy Workshop!