Asia Pacific Screen Industries Spotlight Creative Economy During In-Person World IP Day Celebrations

SINGAPORE –  This week, government officials and screen community leaders highlighted the many benefits of a growing and healthy creative economy at special screenings across the Asia Pacific to mark World Intellectual Property Day (April 26).

In Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) is co-hosting with U.S. Embassies, Consulates, government agencies and local film industries their first in-person events since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.

On April 20, the MPA was joined in Indonesia by U.S. Embassy Jakarta, the Producers Association of Indonesia (APROFI), the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), and Warner Bros. Discovery at XXI Cinema Djakarta for a special screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Robert Ewing, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Jakarta, said, “World Intellectual Property Day is another opportunity to find out how IP rights can support innovators, help transform their ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs and make a positive impact on the world around us. This year’s theme, IP and Youth Innovation for a Better Future, is timely as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and look for ways to support the next generation of storytellers and visionaries throughout the Asia Pacific region by protecting their intellectual property.”

On April 26, the MPA partnered in Thailand with U.S. Embassy, United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) and Warner Bros. Discovery to host a special screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore at Cineplex Major Cineplex Siam Paragon.

Film and television industry representatives, film students, and police enforcement officers, heard from senior IP experts including Peter Fowler, Senior Counsel for Enforcement in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “As we celebrate the theme of IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future, we would be remiss not to take note of how crucial content creation is for innovation in the entertainment and information world,” Fowler said. “Whether social media posts and podcasts, new works of fiction and nonfiction, the latest streaming sensation, or films like the one we are seeing today, none of it would be likely to happen without the protection strong copyright laws provide.”

In Japan, U.S. Embassy Tokyo and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) Japan and numerous government agencies and industry associations joined the MPA for a screening of Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story from 20th Century Studios. Contributing remarks via video, Charles Rivkin – Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, said, “For filmmakers to continue to innovate, we need to ensure they are incentivized for their work. They need to receive the financial reward for their labour. And the best way for all of us to contribute to that environment is to respect their work and pay to access their films and TV shows through legitimate channels – whether at the cinema, on TV, or on one of the many new online services available.”

On April 27, the MPA partnered in Vietnam with the U.S. Embassy Hanoi, the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and BHD cinemas to stage an ambitious simultaneous dual-city screening event, screening Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore for over 300 students and film lovers. In Ho Chi Minh City, leading Vietnamese creators – Trần Thị Bích Ngọc, Film Director and Co-Founder of Autumn Meeting, Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Film Director, Vũ Quỳnh Hà, Production Chief at Galaxy Play, Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, Lawyer at Baker McKenzie, and Charlie Nguyễn, Film Director discussed the huge role IP plays in their careers.

Attending the Hanoi event, newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Marc E. Knapper, said, “The United States has a long, proud history of partnering with Vietnam on intellectual property rights protection. But, as we all know, intellectual property rights protection isn’t just the responsibility of governments. Each of you has an important choice to make:  whether to support counterfeiters and scammers who profit from the work of others, or to reward the creators whose work makes you laugh, makes you think, and brings you joy.”

Every year, MPA Asia Pacific works alongside local stakeholders to organize outreach programs during World IP Day to foster greater interaction among creative communities, various government agencies and students from all levels. These programs provide a platform for people to discuss, share and demonstrate how respect for IP can shape the future and contribute to a more vibrant global economy. We look forward to hosting events in South Korea and Singapore in early May.

View images from events around the region here.