Cross-Border Intellectual Property Governance and the Internationalization Capabilities of Yunnan-Based Enterprises in ASEAN Markets: A Mechanism-Based Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62177/apemr.v3i4.1601Keywords:
Cross-Border Intellectual Property Governance, ASEAN Markets, Yunnan-Based Enterprises, Internationalization Capabilities, Institutional Heterogeneity, Dynamic Capabilities, RCEPAbstract
Regional economic integration has opened up new avenues for businesses in China's border provinces, creating opportunities for expansion and growth. However, despite the increased commercial opportunities, challenges related to intellectual property systems still remain. In this study, we explore how cross-border intellectual property governance can enhance the internationalization capabilities of enterprises based in Yunnan operating in ASEAN markets. Through a comprehensive analysis of 19 official documents, economy profiles, RCEP chapters, ASEAN action plans, WIPO profiles, and trade statistics, we identified three key mechanisms that come into play. Firstly, governance helps in reducing costs related to information, registration, monitoring, and enforcement, thus enabling firms to better capitalize on their brands, technologies, creative content, and geographical indications. Secondly, it enhances the firms' ability to appropriate returns from their intellectual property assets. Lastly, it establishes a feedback loop where recurring business challenges influence regional services and enforcement cooperation. For sustainable internationalization, it is crucial for enterprises to have a strong internal intellectual property competence and tailor their strategies to the specific institutions, asset types, and platform conditions of each country. This study proposes a multilevel framework that connects regional rule coordination with firm-level capability building, offering a roadmap for Yunnan-based enterprises and public service institutions to navigate the complex landscape of cross-border intellectual property governance.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yichen Dong, Fengyu Zhao
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Accepted: 2026-07-27
Published: 2026-08-14
