(SINGAPORE) The progress Singapore has made in protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) is mirrored in a recent survey, which shows only 17 per cent of 87 Japanese companies polled here have been hit by piracy. And even then, the damage was largely not serious.

Only one of these 15 Japanese companies - manufacturers and distributors - indicated it 'suffered serious damage', according to the survey done in January and February by the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) in Singapore.

Just over half - 50.6 per cent - of the companies polled said they 'never suffered any damage from imitation products'. Just under a quarter, or 24.1 per cent, of the respondents said they were affected outside Singapore, reflecting that many of the Japanese companies here function as Asian regional sales headquarters for their parents in Japan.

Some indicated that 'the situation is uncertain, although there seem to be imitation products', while others were 'not sure', according to the poll, which was the first of its kind carried out by Jetro in Singapore.

'By positioning the attraction of knowledge intensive and R&D companies as well as having a high concentration of industry as the pillar of its national strategy, the Singapore government has been strengthening protection of intellectual property rights, including enforcement of its revised copyright law,' Jetro says in a summary of the poll results.

'It is thought that the progress in enforcing related laws and reinforcement of control according to these laws are reflected in the results of the survey.'

Still, Yoshichika Terasawa, Jetro's MD in Singapore, was surprised to see 15 companies which reported violation of their intellectual property rights, despite the government's strong fight against piracy.

'Based on the survey, most counterfeit products were suspected to have come from overseas,' he said at a press briefing yesterday. 'However, the actual distribution network of the products is not clear from this initial survey. Jetro is continuing discussions with the Japanese companies to shed more light on the actual situation.'

But Mr Terasawa acknowledged that 15 cases is still a very much lower figure than in other countries, 'reflecting the success of Singapore's copyright protection efforts'.

Of the 15 companies reportedly hit by imitation and counterfeit products, 12 said their trademarks had been violated. Nine of the companies indicated infringement of their designs, four complained about their patents and one referred to other areas.

Only two companies said that 'some counterfeit products are produced and sold in Singapore' and 'some are produced and sold in Singapore, but the actual fact is now known'. But none believed or suspected that the pirated goods were made here and exported.

Six of the 15 companies hit by piracy said 'it is true that some counterfeit products are brought into Singapore from foreign countries and sold in the Singapore market'. Another six only suspected that this is the case, but 'the actual fact is not known'.

Two companies indicated 'it is true that some counterfeit products are brought into Singapore from foreign countries and re-exported to foreign countries'.