These Common Guidelines for the Substantive Examination of Trademarks in ASEAN Member States have been prepared in the context of the EU-ASEAN Project on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (ECAP III). This project was approved by European Union and ASEAN in 2009 to support the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint. The project is aimed at supporting the strategic goal identifies in the ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2011-2015.