Kuala Lumpur: The Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) has announced a 50 percent fee reduction for Voluntary Copyright Notification Applications for a six-month duration beginning this Saturday, in celebration of the National Intellectual Property Day 2025. Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali revealed that the discount is applicable to musical works, sound recordings, and music-related works protected under the Copyright Act 1987.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Armizan emphasized the importance of awareness among stakeholders, including creators, owners, and artists, to enhance copyright protection and manage music royalties. He encouraged these groups to utilize the fee reduction to apply for intellectual property (IP) registration. The announcement was made during the National Intellectual Property Day 2025 Celebration at Menara MyIPO, themed ‘Our Music Belongs to Us.’
Despite a total of 9,363 copyright applications recorded last year across seven categories, only a fraction involved musical works and sound recordings. Up to April 15, only three applications for musical works and 23 for sound recordings were submitted out of 1,958 total copyright registrations. Armizan advocated for increased awareness programs to boost understanding and encourage copyright registration among stakeholders.
Additionally, Armizan highlighted that KPDN, through MyIPO, is dedicated to strengthening capacity building via strategic collaborations. This includes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Malaysia. The collaboration, ongoing since 2015, aims to enhance intellectual property cooperation, involving information exchange, strategy development, and the adoption of best practices to benefit both nations.
The MoU also focuses on protecting geographical indications, promoting local economic growth through the recognition of unique regional products. It also addresses capacity and technology development and the empowerment of patent inspection.