Has COVID-19 Affected IP Filings in Indonesia?

By Carola Monintja

Most people, regardless of nationality, skin colour, religion, or even political views, will agree that this year, 2020, or the year of the metal rat, has been the most challenging year in decades.

As we already know, the root of the difficulties we face today initially reared its head somewhere in Wuhan, China, around the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, in the form of a submicroscopic infectious agent, better known as a virus. The exact source of this virus, later dubbed COVID-19, is still debatable, as experts continue to discover new findings related to the origin of the virus.

After China was hit by COVID-19, in a matter of months, COVID-19 had travelled, stopped over and decided to stay in countries all around the world, including Indonesia. COVID-19 announced its presence in Indonesia since March 2020 and is showing no signs of leaving. Within months, COVID-19 successfully shut down the bustle of the busy and densely populated metropolitan city, Jakarta. It was devastating to see the empty main streets, closed hotels and malls, and the once dynamic city completely devoid of life. COVID-19 has affected most economical sectors in the country, some impacted severely while others less so.

It is an interesting discussion – in a situation that has slowed down economic growth all over, has investment (both foreign and local) in Indonesia also slowed down? Are investors refraining from investing?

To answer this question, let’s look at statistics. Specifically, we are referring to statistics from the Indonesian IP Office (DGIP) as a benchmark to compare the numbers of filings before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A note to remember, the number of IP filings is recognized as one of the indicators of a country being a preferred investment destination by investors.

Surprisingly, according to data released by the DGIP on their Facebook page (Graph 1), the number of IP filings in the first half of 2020 hit 42,501 filings, compared to the number of IP filings in the same period in 2019, amounting to 40,961 filings. The increased number of filings has directly impacted the government’s income from the IP sector.

This shows that COVID-19 has not negatively affected the eagerness of investors to invest in Indonesia, and Indonesia is still seen as the destination for investment in Southeast Asia.

The significant increase in number of IP filings reflects the hard work of the DGIP. Nowadays all filings, without exception, can be done online through the e-filing system, inquiries on IP can be addressed via a Live Chat and Call Center. With these innovations and upgrades, the DGIP has provided an easy and reliable way to file without having to visit the office, which is still closed to date.

So, for foreign investors with economic interests in Indonesia, what are you waiting for? The time is ripe for you to file your IP protection in Indonesia – do drop us a line at kass@kass.asia and we at KASS would be happy to assist you.

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KASS

Communications at KASS International Sdn Bhd

KASS International is an established Intellectual Property Firm which offers a one-stop solution for IP matters in Malaysia, South East Asia, and worldwide.