With a series of events and strategic partnerships, Alibaba continues to deepen its intellectual property rights (IPR) engagement in the Asia Pacific region. Recent activities led by the Alibaba International’s Global IP Enforcement team along with the Lazada and AliExpress Korea platforms signal growing recognition of Alibaba’s IPR initiatives across key markets in the region.

E-Commerce Roundtable in Bangkok Draws Official Praise

One notable highlight was the E-Commerce Platform Roundtable Discussion hosted on July 16 at the Lazada Thailand office. Led and hosted by Alibaba, the event convened over 80 participants, including senior officials from the Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Royal Thai Police’s Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KOIPA).

Thailand DIP’s Deputy Director General, Mr. Arwut Wongsawas, recognized Alibaba in his keynote remarks, “I would like to commend the commitment of Lazada and Alibaba in recognizing the importance of intellectual property protection, and in organizing and hosting today’s e-commerce round table discussion which provides a forum for exchanging ideas on IP protection and collaboratively discussing e-commerce practices to provide reliable, safe and fair practices.” The event earned strong acclaim, including by the USPTO’s Sr. IP Specialist Chanchart Chotiphol, who delivered the closing remarks and further underscored the event’s strategic importance.

Representatives from international IPR organizations such as the International Trademark Association (INTA) and React – The Anti-Counterfeiting Network (React), Asia Pacific, also joined the discussions reflecting Alibaba’s role as a facilitator of regional cooperation on IPR issues.

AliExpress to Innovate IPR Protection in Korea

Also in July, AliExpress Korea signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Trade-related IPR Protection Association (TIPA) to strengthen IPR protection in cross-border trade. The announcement of the joint effort can be found here. Through this partnership, AliExpress became the first e-commerce platform to proactively work with TIPA to utilize its customs seizure information in order to enhance IPR enforcement and protection for both brands and consumers.

Daniel Dougherty, Senior Director of Alibaba International, said, “Our close cooperation with TIPA will strengthen efforts to protect both IP and consumers. AliExpress and Alibaba are pleased to continue to lead in IP protection efforts.” TIPA President Nam-gi Chung added, “This meaningful collaboration will significantly strengthen the IPR protection ecosystem and serve as a milestone for IP protection in the e-commerce sector.”

Strengthening IPR Protection for K-beauty Brands

Alibaba is also working closely with key industries to strengthen IPR protection. On June 17, Alibaba International and AliExpress Korea partnered with the Korea Cosmetic Association (KCA) to co-host the K-Beauty Business & IP Strategy Conference in Seoul. The event brought together over 50 Korean industry participants for a day of exchange and insight into Alibaba’s IPR protection mechanisms and emerging e-commerce trends in the beauty industry.

Ray Zhang, CEO of AliExpress Korea, opened the event, followed by presentations from Alibaba’s Global IP Enforcement team, and AliExpress Korea and Lazada business representatives from the be cosmetics sector. One attendee noting, “We learned through this conference that Alibaba has a deep understanding of and genuine interest in the beauty sector.”

Activating the Next Generation of IP Advocates

To promote public education and IP awareness, Alibaba and AliExpress Korea partnered with Hongik University, Korea’s leading design school, to hold a student design competition. The competition encouraged students to creatively express the importance of IPR protection and helped promote awareness of IP issues through the lens of young designers.

The top honor, the Global Intellectual Property Award, was awarded to the slogan: Fake? Can’t Relate, which was uniformly embraced by Alibaba, Hongik University and the judges from the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KOIPA), Korea Intellectual Property Association (KINPA), and the Korea Fashion Association’s Fashion IP Center for its firm rejection of counterfeit culture through Gen Z’s own voice. Professor Hyunju Park of Hongik University remarked, “This partnership with Alibaba International, which brings strong expertise in IPR protection, greatly enhanced the educational impact of the program.”

Empowering Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Alibaba International also introduced dedicated SME resources within its IPP Platform this summer. The SME content offers a wealth of IPR-related information including the basics of IPR, why IPR is important, and information about obtaining IPR protection. Also included are links to additional IPR resources such as national, regional and international IPR offices. With these resources, Alibaba is helping small businesses secure their innovations, build strong brands, and sustain their long-term growth in a fiercely competitive digital environment. To best position SMEs for success, the resources are available in seven languages from the Asia Pacific region.

Additionally, Alibaba International recently upgraded its FAQ content on the IPP Platform to further support SMEs, and other rights holders, by providing the most current information on commonly encountered IPR enforcement questions.

Singapore – Intellectual Property in Trade and Digital Commerce

On August 28, Alibaba International co–hosted a high-level IPR seminar in Singapore alongside the U.S.-based McCarthy Institute and the Singapore Management University (SMU), Centre for Digital Law. An associated event of IP Week @ Singapore, the event, titled Intellectual Property in Trade and Digital Commerce, convened leading voices from the IPR community, including policy makers, industry stakeholders, and academia to explore key IPR themes such as the complexities of AI litigation, innovative approaches to IPR dispute resolution, and support for SMEs.

Speakers for the event included SMU School of Law Dean Lee Pey Woan, who delivered welcome remarks, a keynote address by Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and panel discussions with industry experts such as Attorney Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz, Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and representatives from IPOS and Thailand DIP. Another highlight of this day-long event was a fireside chat featuring the Southeast Asia-based IP Attachés from the UK, France and U.S.