These Common Guidelines for the Examination of Industrial Designs in the ASEAN Member States (hereinafter called “the Common Guidelines”) have been prepared in the context of the EU-ASEAN Project on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (ECAP III). That project was approved by the European Union and ASEAN in 2009 to support the objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, and the strategic goals as identified in the ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2011-2015.<br>

The overall objective of ECAP III Phase II is to further integrate ASEAN Member States into the global economy and world trading system to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in the region.