MOU Ceremony, made by Dr. Pollawat
On July 8, 2024, Dr. Pollawat Suppattarasaet, an IP Partner at ILAWASIA and President of the Legal Development and Assistance for SMEs Committee of the Federation of Thai SMEs, attended the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement (MOU) with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanaphat Patchim, Dean of the Suan Dusit School of Law and Politics. The agreement focuses on organizing curriculum in dispute mediation and other areas of law.
Seminar on "Guidelines for Intellectual Property Protection for New Technology"
On June 26, 2024, Pollawat Suppattarasaet, an IP Partner, attended the Seminars and Exhibitions on the Commercialization of Intellectual Property Works at Burapha University.
Pollawat served as a speaker on the topic “Patent Procedures and IP Protection Guidelines for Modern Technology.”
Our IP Partner attended at Department of Special Investigation (DSI)
On 25th June 2024, Pollawat Suppattarasaet, IP Partner at ILAWASIA; and acting as President of Legal Development and Assistance for SMEs Committee, The Federation Thai SMEs, met with the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation to seek legal cooperation on combating counterfeits.
Public training course on “Labor Compliance Obligations under Cambodian Labor Law”.
On 21st June 2024, Ms. Makara Um, Associate at ILAW Cambodia Law Office (ILAW Cambodia), attended a public training course on “Labor Compliance Obligations under Cambodian Labor Law”. This course has equipped her with knowledge about corporation’s obligations under labor law. Potential repercussions of non-compliance, how to identify any areas of non-compliance and how to effectively implement measures for ensuring organization’s compliance with labor law were also trained. Ms. Makara was granted with the Certificate of Achievement for attending this training course.
People are the most important asset of ILAW Cambodia. ILAW Cambodia has its concrete strategy and program to keep strengthening skills and expanding new skills to its staff, so that we can keep serving the best interests to our clients, partners and the communities as a whole.
ILAW Cambodia has Labor and Employment Department that serves on all aspects of labor-related services in Cambodia. Please contact us for any labor-related services you need in Cambodia.
Myanmar’s Patent Law 2019 came into Force on 31st May 2024
Myanmar’s Patent Law 2019 came into Force on 31st May 2024
On 1st June 2024, the State Administration Council (SAC) issued the notification no. 106/2024, setting the effective date for Myanmar’s Patent Law 2019, enacted as Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No. 7, 2019, in accordance with Section 1, Sub-section (b). This announcement marks a significant advancement in the comprehensive implementation of statutory patent protection in Myanmar.
The Ministry of Commerce issued the Patent Rules with the notification no. 43/2024 on 4th June 2024 in accordance with the Patent Law. These Rules outline the procedures and requirements for registering patent and utility model rights in Myanmar. The Intellectual Property Department (IPD) will soon issue notifications regarding the acceptance date, prescribed official application forms; official fees; annual fees and other necessary forms for patent and utility model registration and prosecution in Myanmar.
Registrability Criteria
Under the Patent Law enacted in 2019, inventions eligible for registration must meet the following criteria:
- Novelty: Not have been publicly disclosed before the filing date or claimed priority date.
- Inventive Step: Involve an inventive step.
- Industrial Applicability: Be capable of industrial application.
Ineligible inventions for registration in Myanmar:
The following types of inventions are ineligible for registration in Myanmar:
- Discoveries, scientific theories, and mathematical methods
- Schemes, rules, and methods for doing business, purely mental acts, or playing games
- Computer programs
- Essentially biological processes for producing plants and animals, except man-made living micro-organisms and their processes
- Plant or animal varieties
- Methods for treating the human or animal body and diagnostic techniques
- Inventions related to known substances or naturally occurring objects, including their new uses and features
- Inventions that contravene the morals, peace, and tranquility of Myanmar
Patent Application must be in Myanmar or English with the proof of fee payment. Documents not Myanmar or English must be translated into one of these languages.
If the registrar approves the registration of Patent, the registration fee shall be paid within 60 days from the receiving the notice. Failure to pay the fee within 60 days will result in the application being deemed abandoned.
Applicants wishing to claim priority rights can do so within one year from filing an application with any member country of the World Trade Organization (WTO) or any member state of the Paris Convention. Myanmar has not yet ratified the Paris Convention or the Patent Cooperation Treaty, so international protection for inventions under these agreements cannot currently be sought. However, the Patent Law includes provisions regarding these agreements, which will come into effect upon completion of the ratification process.
Substantive examination requests must be submitted within 36 months from the filing date of their application. If the Patent Office issues office action, the responses to that office action must be filed within 60 days.
Any person dissatisfied with the IPD’s decision may file an appeal with the IP Agency established under the Patent Law. Further appeals against the IP Agency’s decision can be made to the Intellectual Property Rights Court within 90 days of receiving notice of the decision.
The term of the patent is 20 years from the filing date of the patent application, and for utility models, it is 10 years from the filing date of the application. Annual fees must be paid.
Given the imminent implementation of the Patent Law, intellectual property owners are advised to review their IP portfolios and prepare to file patent applications when the patent system is fully operational to protect their rights and interests in Myanmar. We will monitor these developments closely and provide updates as further notifications are issued.
For more information or inquiries about IP protection in Myanmar, please contact us at ip@ilawasia.com.
World IP Day 2024 in Laos
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.a#EventAttendance On May 30th, 2024, Viphavah Syharath, Associate, attended World IP Day 2024, hosted by the Lao Department of Intellectual Property. ILAW LAOS is proud to be one of the sponsors supporting IP awareness in Lao PDR. This year’s theme is ‘IP and the SDGs: Building Our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity.’
#WorldIPDay #IPDay
INTA 2024 Annual Meeting
#INTA2024 Year after year, the spirit of INTA brings us together and strengthens our bonds beyond mere professional connections. We’re taking back great memories and much knowledge. Looking forward to the next #INTA2025
DIP Projects
On May 21, 2024, Pollawat Suppattarasaet, IP Partner, represented the firm in presenting a bidding project to the Department of Intellectual Property.
Overseas Visitation in Singapore
On May 23, 2024, Tanadee Pantumkomon, Partner, represented the firm in visiting attorneys at Allen & Gledhill LLP in Singapore.
Firm’s Visitation in Indonesia
On May 3, 2024, Tanadee and Nannapas visited ADCO Law to represent our firm and foster a strong relationship.
Through our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), we have established a mutual partnership with ADCO Law. This collaboration guarantees that our clients benefit from top-tier legal expertise and assistance as they navigate the intricacies of investing in Indonesia.
Furthermore, ILAWASIA has recently launched the Indonesia Desk, a specialized division dedicated to aiding both local and international investors in establishing businesses in Indonesia.
