KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo) Alert data sharing platform to strengthen the country's intellectual property (IP) enforcement in the digital era.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (pic) said Wipo Alert is an online platform developed to assist enforcement agencies upload and access lists of websites identified as copyright violators.
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"With this, Malaysia is now at the forefront alongside 14 other countries that have joined the platform," he said in a statement on Friday (Sept 13).
"Through this information sharing initiative, Malaysia can strengthen efforts to combat copyright violations on digital platforms, thereby protecting IP owners.
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"This initiative not only enhances the country's IP enforcement but also streamlines existing processes and actions in combating digital piracy and unauthorised advertising content," he added.
Earlier, he witnessed the signing ceremony of a letter of understanding between the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and Wipo at the latter's headquarters in Geneva.
Wipo is an agency under the United Nations.
Armizan said Malaysia's participation in the platform underscores the country's commitment to protecting the interests of IP owners and ensuring the integrity of the digital marketplace.
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He noted that from 2018 to this year, a total of 4,084 websites were blocked by the ministry's Enforcement Division in collaboration with MyIPO and relevant agencies.
"These blocks were imposed for violations of copyright content.
"The development and strengthening of enforcement within this digital ecosystem must continue, and I will see that Malaysia's collaboration with Wipo progresses through capacity-building and training.
"(Additionally), Malaysia’s active involvement in international conferences on digital enforcement issues is crucial to curbing any form of activity related to digital copyright violations," he said.
The development of a conducive IP ecosystem is important for promoting foreign investment and subsequently improving the country's economic standing, he added. – Bernama
