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Mirandah Asia provide clients with IP services in Laos to the same high-quality standard only local reputation delivers. As Laos develops its IP landscape to become ever more in-line with international standards, we will be at your service to seamlessly handle both contentious and non-contentious matters.

Overview

Laos is a party to a number of international treaties on intellectual property rights. Besides being a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since January 1995, the country is also party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and, since 2006, the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Laos is also party to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Growth of Laos’ IP landscape

The key legislation governing intellectual property in Laos is Law No. 01/NA (the “Law on Intellectual Property”) that was passed on 20 December 2011. Laos adopts a “first to file” system of registration for trademarks and patents.

Multi-class trade mark filings are now accepted in Laos, meaning that applicants may file for one mark to protect many different areas of goods and services under the Nice Classification System.

As per the ASEAN Economic Community’s Harmonisation plan, Laos agreed to accede to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (known as the “Madrid Protocol”). The Protocol entered into force with respect to Laos on March 7, 2016, and Laos became the 97th member of the Madrid System.

 

Legal basis
  • Decree on Patent, Petty Patent and Industrial Designs No 01/PM dated January 17th, 2002.
  • Regulation the Implementation of Patent, Petty Patent and Industrial Designs No 322/STEAPMO dated February 18th, 2003.
  • Law on Intellectual Property No 08/NA dated December 24th, 2007.
Major international treaties signed
  • Patent Co-operation Treaty
  • Paris Convention
Average time to obtain a patent About 48 months for the PCT national phase filings
About 60 months for the Convention and Direct filings
Official language for patent prosecution English
Non-patentable subject matter Available
Non-patentable subject matter (i) discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods;

(ii) schemes, rules or methods for doing business, performing purely mental acts or playing games;

(iii) methods for treatment of the human or animal

(iv) inventions which are contrast to the public order of the national cultural morality
Grace period for pre-filing sale or public disclosure Up to 12 months before the first filing
Major prosecution events (calculated from priority or filing date)
Event PCT-National Phase Non-PCT
 Lodging patent application 30 months 12 months
Payment for Annual Fees Every year Every year
Renewal (after grant) Every year Every year
Extension of deadlines (i)    03 months for responding to Office Actions
(ii)   03 months for Search and Examination events
(iii)  03 months for most other deadlines
Pharmaceutical Data Exclusivity Laws Not available
Parallel Imports Allowable
Term of patent 20 years
Patent term extension Not available
Restoration of lapsed Patent No specific provisions are present
Search and Examination Local Examination of patents is not compulsory. Search and Examination reports established in other countries or during PCT International phase can be relied upon for the purpose of patent grant in Laos.
Other forms of patents (e.g. petty/innovation patents) Utility model
Useful links www.mirandah.com
Dispute Resolution
  1. Reconciliation;
  2. Mediation;
  3. Administrative remedies;
  4. Remedy through Economic Dispute Resolution Committee;
  5. Judicial Actions to People’s Courts;
  6. International dispute settlement.
Specialised courts for IP No
Outline of the enforcement steps

1. Order the infringer to desist from an infringement;

2. Order the suspension of Customs procedures;

3. Order the seizure of goods to prevent the entry into the channels of commerce of imported goods that involve the infringement of an intellectual property right, immediately after customs clearance of such goods;

4. Order a declaratory judgment of infringement;

5. Order the infringer to pay damages adequate to compensate;

6. Order the infringer to pay the right holder expenses, which may include appropriate attorney’s fees;

7. Order that goods that have been found to be infringing, be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such a manner that such goods will not enter channels of commerce;

8. Order that materials and implements the predominant use of which has been in the creation of the infringing goods be disposed of outside the channels of commerce in such a manner as to minimize the risks of further infringements.

Relief against groundless threats Not available
Declaration of non-infringement Not available
Preliminary injunctions Available
Time frame for various legal actions Infringement proceeding: 12-24 months
Availability of damages and other relief for infringement
(i) Injunction
(ii) Loss of revenue
(iii) Account of profits
(iv) Attorney’s fees and other expenses for litigation
Legal Basis
  • The 2007 Intellectual Property Law
  • Regulation on Registration of Trademark, No. 466/STEA-PMO, dated 7 March 2002
  • Prime Minister’s Decree on Trademark, No. 06/P.M, dated 18 Jan 1995; b
Major international treaties signed
  • Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (October 8, 1998)
  • Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (January 17, 1995)
Cost of obtaining a straightforward registration Please contact us at singapore@mirandah.com
Average time to register a trademark 12-16 months
Official language of trademark prosecution Lao
Filing and prosecution procedures Stage 1: Filing
Stage 2: Examination
Stage 3: Registration
Stage 4: Publication
Stage 5: Renewal
Number of classes 45
Multiple class filing Available
Filing of series marks Not available
Necessary documents Power of Attorney (Notarized)
Extension of office action deadlines Yes
Common objections
  • Descriptiveness
  • Non-distinctiveness
  • Prior conflicting rights
Opposition term Unclear. Opposition may be lodged with the Trade Mark Office before or after the registration of the Trade Mark.
Term of trademark protection 10 years (renewable)
Restoration of lapsed trademark No
Parallel Imports Yes
Minimum period of use to avoid non-use cancellation action 5 years (continuous)
Useful links www.mirandah.com
http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/profile.jsp?code=LA
Infringement offence Available
Infringement offence Department of Intellectual Property Standardization and Metrology (DIPSM)
Outline of Enforcement Steps Civil
Criminal
Penal Code and the Code on Criminal Procedure
Relief against groundless threats unavailable
Declaration of non-infringement unavailable
Preliminary injunctions unavailable
Time frame for various legal actions 24 – 36 months, depending on various factors
Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediation
Arbitration
Civil Remedies Injunction
Damages
Criminal Sanctions Fine
Want to find out more about
Laos' IP landscape?
Drop us a line or visit
our office.

mirandah asia (laos) affiliate office
No. 10, Lane 34, Au Co Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: +(844) 3718 6216
Fax: +(844) 3718 6217

Email: laos@mirandah.com