Experts from 12 Asian countries on Monday opened a three-day conference aiming to coordinate the fight against piracy and protect intellectual property rights.

The conference, which is also being attended by representatives from the United States, European Union and Switzerland, aims to "evaluate the situation of intellectual property in Asia to identify the main obstacles towards protecting it," the organisers said.

Copyright pirates have proliferated across Asia manufacturing cheap copies of popular brand name products or copying works of art. Vietnam and China are seen as particular problem spots.

These violations "give rise to tensions between commercial partners at the moment when Asia is joining international institutions such as the World Trade Organisation," French ambassador in Hanoi, Antoine Pouillieute, told the opening.

The conference will be followed on May 16 and 17 by a working group meeting on intellectual property rights aimed at strengthening national legislation within ASEM, which groups the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Among the countries attending are Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.