Answer to Written Question PT088

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG CHONG CHIN YEE asks the MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI to state what measures have been taken by the Ministry to enhance copyright literacy among businesses and local creative practitioners through education, targeted approaches or industry engagement in order to protect creative works and intellectual assets more effectively?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Mentiri

Yang Berhormat Yang Di-Pertua,

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I. Kaola would first like to express thanks to Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee regarding the measures taken by the Ministry to enhance copyright literacy among businesses and local creative practitioners.

II. To answer Yang Berhormat's question, intellectual property rights (Intellectual Property Rights) (“IPR”) are rights granted to creators (whether an individual or entity) of works, inventions and ideas to protect such creations from being used by other persons and/or entities without permission. IPR gives creators control over their work, so that they may benefit financially from their work and protect it from being copied or stolen.

III. IPR can also encourage the growth of businesses, technology and new products by providing a legal framework to protect their ideas and creations from duplication or misuse by others. The World Trade Organization has estimated that IPR protection supports $9 trillion in annual global trade. IPR is often described as a public interest because it benefits society generally without losing its value when it is used.

IV. The Brunei Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO), at the Attorney General’s Chambers, plays an important role in the promotion and protection of intellectual property in Negara Brunei Darussalam. In line with this mandate, BruIPO is committed to enhancing understanding and implementation of the intellectual property rights protection system comprehensively, covering copyright (copyright), trademarks (trademarks), patents (patent), and industrial designs (industrial design).

V. In this regard, various initiatives have been implemented to enhance copyright literacy, particularly among local businesses and creative industry practitioners, through educational approaches, collaboration with industry parties as well as the implementation of inclusive and progressive policies.

Education and Public Awareness

VI. BruIPO has conducted and participated in various intellectual property awareness sessions as an invited speaker together with government and private agencies, including for startups (startups), enterprises (micro, medium and small enterprises) (‘MSMEs’), as well as higher education institutions.

VII. In addition, BruIPO is currently implementing a monthly segment with Radio Televisyen Brunei (‘RTB’) through the Rampai Pagi programme, which aims to enhance public understanding of copyright, trademarks, patents, industrial designs and geographical indications.

VIII. Since 2023, more than 30 public awareness activities have been organised or participated in by BruIPO involving various target groups such as students, law enforcement officers, entrepreneurs and policymakers. Among the activities carried out are as follows:

• Brunei Startup Summit (2024 and 2025): Workshops and intellectual property briefing sessions for startups and MSME enterprises.
• Women InnovateHer Workshop 2024: Workshop and briefings in collaboration with Darussalam Enterprise (‘DARe’) focusing on women entrepreneurs.
• Intellectual Property Workshop with DST InnoLab (2024 and 2025): Workshops targeting specific sectors such as food, business as well as technology and creative.
• Sharing sessions with higher education institutions (2023–2025): Seminars to enhance intellectual property literacy among lecturers and students.
• RTB Rampai Pagi Segment (2025): Monthly live broadcast sessions on various intellectual property topics.
• ASEAN IP Register Platform Promotion Workshop (2025): A workshop aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of IP registration and the use of the ASEAN IP Register as a strategic search tool as well as support for business growth and technological innovation.

Generating inclusive access

IX. To ensure that the benefits of intellectual property can be enjoyed by society as a whole, the Attorney General’s Chambers, through BruIPO, is now in the process of implementing an initiative towards Negara Brunei Darussalam’s participation in the Marrakesh Treaty (Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled).

X. This initiative aims to provide access to reading materials in accessible formats, particularly for persons with visual disabilities (‘OKU’).

XI. This Treaty will enable the reproduction and sharing of reading materials in various formats such as braille, large print and audiobooks, which in turn supports the participation of such OKU groups in education and employment opportunities. At present, the initiative is at the stage of study and consideration of legislative amendments.

Creative Industry Database

XII. BruIPO is developing a Creative Industry Database aimed at documenting and promoting local talents such as musicians, artists, designers and digital content creators. This initiative not only aims to increase the visibility of local talents in local and international markets, but will also support stakeholders in identifying sector strengths and formulating more targeted strategies.

XIII. BruIPO is developing a Creative Industry Database aimed at documenting and promoting local talents such as musicians, artists, designers and digital content creators.

XIV. This initiative not only aims to increase the visibility of local talents in local and international markets, but will also support stakeholders in identifying sector strengths and formulating more targeted strategies.

Support for Local Musicians

XV. BruIPO in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports is currently undertaking an initiative to develop and establish a Collective Management Organisation framework that will enable the effective management, licensing and enforcement of copyright by content creators, particularly local musicians and publishers.

Future Planning

XVI. Copyright in general is automatically protected without requiring a registration process such as trademarks, patents and industrial designs.

XVII. However, BruIPO finds that creative groups such as designers, musicians and others have raised challenges in proving ownership of their works, especially in the context of copyright enforcement.

XVIII. Towards this, BruIPO is exploring an initiative for the establishment of a Voluntary Copyright Recordation System which will provide a user-friendly mechanism for creative groups to voluntarily record their works with BruIPO.

XIX. This system is expected to support rights enforcement efforts, commercial licensing as well as dispute resolution and will particularly benefit musicians, digital content creators and MSME enterprises in the country.

That is all that Kaola can convey. Thank you.