KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia officially joined the WIPO Alert Data Sharing Platform today (Sept 13) to strengthen the country's intellectual property enforcement in the digital era, said Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said WIPO Alert is an online platform developed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to assist enforcement agencies in uploading and accessing lists of websites identified as copyright violators.

"With this participation, Malaysia is now at the forefront alongside 14 other countries that have joined the platform.

"Through this information-sharing initiative, Malaysia can strengthen efforts to combat copyright violations on digital platforms, thereby protecting intellectual property owners.

"This initiative not only enhances the country's intellectual property enforcement but also streamlines existing processes and actions in combating digital piracy and unauthorised advertising content," he said in a statement today.

Earlier, he witnessed the signing ceremony of a Letter of Understanding (LoU) between the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and WIPO, held at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva.

The WIPO Alert Data Sharing Platform is managed by WIPO, an agency under the United Nations.

Armizan said Malaysia's participation in WIPO Alert underscores the country's commitment to protecting the interests of intellectual property owners and ensuring the integrity of the digital marketplace.

He noted that between 2018 and this year, a total of 4,084 website blocks were carried out by the Enforcement Division of the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, 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 ensure that Malaysia's collaboration with WIPO will progress 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 intellectual property ecosystem is important for promoting foreign investment and subsequently improving the country's economic standing, he added. -BERNAMA

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/1105189/malaysia-joins-wipo-alert-strengthen-intellectual-property-protection