The concept of intellectual property protection in Asia is one of responsibility. It means that companies must take the proper precautions and put the appropriate resources in place to protect rights that are considered private in China and other key markets in Asia. While Asian governments have generally taken a more exporter-friendly stance on IP policy development and enforcement in recent years, the day-to-day oversight and responsibility rests with exporters and their respective in-country partners to ensure that ideas, product designs, product drawings, utility/design patents, trademarks, branding and all other IP is protected while in the hands of those offshore.

To give clients the ability to freely explore options in Asia without the fear of IP exploitation, we have established relevant relationships with local government agencies and officials. This increased visibility has given us resources to support our claims and quickly halt the practices of infringers. More importantly, we conduct comprehensive due diligence on both prospective and existing suppliers, sub-suppliers and service providers to protect ourselves and clients (see Sourcing & Supplier Management).