Practitioners must keep pace with SE Asia's IP modernisation

Duarte Lima, MD of Spruson & Ferguson's Asia practice, says practitioners must adapt to process changes within IP systems, as well as be mindful of the implications of tech on their practices

Southeast Asia's intellectual property environment is rapidly modernising. IP offices in the region are strengthening digital infrastructure, refining workflows, and signalling a readiness to support innovators with more predictable, technology-enabled processes.

Some IP services firms in the region are also keeping pace and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) at the core of their operations and processes as the benefits and efficiencies of the technology become clear, including freeing practitioners to focus on more strategic and client-centred work.

As this environment evolves, practitioners must evolve with it.

Heading into 2026, IP practitioners of the future must embrace digitisation, implement a globally focused outlook in their practice, and maintain sharp local knowledge and understanding.

Rapid modernisation

While Singapore has positioned itself as a mature coordinating hub and regional anchor point for IP activity in Southeast Asia, smaller economies are also contributing significantly to this modernisation.

In Indonesia, developments point to a future where filings and examinations are progressively faster, more secure and consistent. The Directorate General of Intellectual Property has prioritised the modernisation of IP law as part of the IP roadmap strategy to reform enforcement and protection.

Cooperation programmes with international partners are exploring how advanced technologies can be applied within IP workflows, signalling an upgrade in both capability and capacity.

Meanwhile, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has risen to recognition as one of the world's most innovative IP offices. Its national strategy outlines a multi-year commitment to strengthening IP systems, expanding commercialisation pathways, and leveraging emerging technologies to support creators and businesses. Combined with sustained investment in digital systems and capacity-building, the Philippines projects a sophisticated and responsive IP landscape for rights owners.

Several other jurisdictions are making similar strides:

• Thailand's 2026-2027 IP strategy pairs legal reform with digitally modernised IP administration, alongside government announcements of a multi-billion-dollar investment in AI and digital infrastructure.
• Malaysia is pursuing significant, centrally funded digital modernisation across government, with AI positioned as a core national capability, while its IP office is actively implementing a formal digital transformation roadmap that places online systems, data infrastructure, and emerging AI-enabled tools at the centre of IP administration.
• Vietnam has undergone an overhaul in 2025, shortening examination timelines, strengthening online enforcement, and explicitly regulating the use of IP-protected published data for AI training - one of the first ASEAN jurisdictions to embed AI legislation into IP law.

Southeast Asia is embracing digitisation to implement efficiency and to prepare for a global IP landscape with AI as a key consideration. IP practitioners in the region must be vigilant from both ends - they must adapt to the process changes within IP systems, as well as be mindful of the implications for practice, which will require strong digital capability within AI-optimised firm environments.

Security and transparency

Maintaining strong transparency with clients and upholding secure practices are cornerstones of a trusted IP practice. These are now more essential than ever as digital tools like AI become embedded in ways of working.

According to Tee Tan, global head of IT at IPH: "The experience of 2025 clarified both the opportunity and the constraints.

"Used responsibly, AI provides efficiencies for routine, but critical, elements of IP work and allows practitioners to focus on strategy and client care. However, the controls are non-negotiable: secure, onshore processing; no model training on sensitive client data and always human review."

Embracing an ethos of total transparency and consistent review of outputs, practitioners must be kept in the loop of processes and results. Our in-house testing clearly shows that these systems are effective enablers for practitioners to focus on high-value work, but the recurrent appearance of AI hallucinations and AI-generated errors we continue to see in many commonly used AI models makes expert scrutiny and review absolutely essential.

The role of practitioners within advanced technology and AI-implemented systems remains critical. It's also critical that practitioners know how to work within these systems.

Regulatory shifts

In some cases, transparency, risk management and human oversight are not just best practices - they are embedded in how governments regulate AI systems. Compared to other governments globally, Vietnam has implemented sweeping AI laws, mandating that these practices be upheld when practicing high-risk AI use.

As economies in Southeast Asia progressively digitise and recognise the global significance of AI development, regulatory shifts and national strategies continue to emerge across governments in the region.

Many nations are enacting data security legislation to keep pace with the evolution of AI tools, with varying degrees of strictness. In Thailand, regulations look to ban harmful AI use and regulate high-risk systems, while the Philippines' law focuses on transparency and accountability in AI processing. For IP practitioners, remaining abreast of the nuances of digital policy within their region or regions of practice will be essential.

While risk mitigation is a key target of evolving digital policy, looking at roadmaps and forward-looking national strategies and philosophies provides useful insight into how these IP systems will modernise further. As Vietnam adopts advanced and comprehensive AI legislation, regions like Singapore and Malaysia have taken on a sector-specific, pro-innovation and risk-based approach to AI governance, rather than adopting specific legislation.

There is value in understanding the similar or contrasting philosophies across these nations and where they are individually headed.

As these economies grow and attract further international business, IP managers located outside the region, particularly those with filings in multiple jurisdictions, will need to be completely confident that the teams they engage with on the ground are fully across both the local nuances and technical landscape, alongside global shifts in practices and regulations.

Expertise essential

Economies across Southeast Asia are stepping into an era of modernisation, connecting to global innovation, and preparing for further development of AI systems. IP practitioners in the region must be prepared to navigate this ongoing evolution in 2026 and beyond, equipped with the digital skills and systems to thrive.

Practitioners who achieve the best results for their clients will be those with local knowledge and strategy skills, while accessing a network of cross-regional knowledge and cutting-edge digital capability, combining local expertise with a global perspective.

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