The IP Guidelines help businesses manage copyright and branded materials and deter trade in counterfeit and pirate goods by outlining practical steps that businesses can take to protect their own innovation and creativity in IP-based products and services, as well as to protect against the risk of using counterfeit materials or infringing other companies’ IP rights. 

An Arabic-language version of the IP Guidelines was released for the first time today. English and French versions were released on 17 October during a special session at the EU Conference on Industrial Property Rights in the Internal Market, in Strasbourg, France. 

Copyright and branded goods are an important part of every modern economy.  The most innovative and advanced sectors rely heavily on IP to support innovation in their own products and services.  Nearly every enterprise today uses or produces some form of IP in its business – from its own trademarks on products, to copyrighted publications, music, video or software, to branded goods or services of all types. 

The ICC/BASCAP IP Guidelines will help companies to assess the effectiveness of their IP management policies, and to consider new options for improving performance and managing the risks associated with counterfeiting and piracy. The IP Guidelines deal with IP management in all its forms within companies, from IP development to component sourcing, manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, relations with intermediaries and handling of third parties’ IP.

“Counterfeiting and piracy of copyright and branded goods are a $600 billion world-wide problem which hurts not only consumers but also businesses and the overall economy,” said Duncan Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets for Cisco Systems and a member of the BASCAP Steering Committee.  “Good laws and government enforcement are crucial to combat this problem, but there is a lot that businesses can do to protect their own creative and innovative products, and to avoid the risk that their supply chain or company operations have been compromised by infringing items.”

ICC Secretary General Guy Sebban explained, “The IP Guidelines are designed to be useful to a wide range of businesses in different sectors, and are suitable to be tailored to deal more specifically with particular industries or sectors.  We hope the launch of the ICC-BASCAP IP Guidelines will introduce Forum participants and government officials to the Guidelines and encourage the adoption of good IP management practices as part of corporate and public policies.”

Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Tuwaijri, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League for Economic Affairs, welcomed the ICC-BASCAP IP Guidelines at today’s launch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “Respect for intellectual property helps to improve economic competitiveness. The global trade in fakes does exactly the opposite – it hurts consumers, businesses and the economy in every country,” he said. “I would strongly encourage businesses in this region to make use of tools like the ICC-BASCAP IP Guidelines to create or improve their own policies for managing and protecting intellectual property.”

"In addition to today’s public launch, an important part of the educational process is to distribute the IP Guidelines to companies around the world,” said Jeff Hardy, ICC’s BASCAP Coordinator. “Our first steps have been to provide copies to the ICC National Committees and their member companies located in 90 countries worldwide. We have also provided the IP Guidelines to all BASCAP member companies for further distribution to their global affiliates. This year should be a busy year as we look forward to a series of workshops and roll-out events working with ICC National Committees and their members large and small.”

Other speakers during the launch seminar included: Naser Al-Mushaikeh, Executive Director, ICC Saudi Arabia; Abdulaziz A. Bin Othaimeen, Director of the Board, Hemaya Universal; Allen Dixon, Managing Director, International Intellectual Property and Technology Consulting; and Isam Badwailan, Brand Protection Manager for North Africa & Middle East, Unilever.

BASCAP IP Guidelines 

Intellectual Property (IP) Guidelines for Business (English)

Intellectual Property (IP) Guidelines for Business (French)

Intellectual Property (IP) Guidelines for Business (Arabic)