Myanmar’s Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No. 7/2019 (“Patent Law”) was approved on 11 March 2019; implementation is still pending. It follows the Trademark and Industrial Design Laws which were approved on 30 January 2019. Under the old patent registration system, Myanmar has no intellectual property laws or legal framework for filing and prosecuting patent applications. The […]
Marijuana Patent Requests Suspended in Thailand
A special executive order was issued by the Thai government on 28th January 2019 directing the Department of Intellectual Property (“DIP”) to invalidate all pending marijuana-related patents applications within 90 days. This comes less than 3 months after the Thai National Legislative Assembly (“NLA”) approved the “Medical Marijuana” bill to be used for medical and […]
Myanmar: Updates on Trade Mark Procedures
Whilst the long awaited landmark changes to IP laws in Myanmar are yet to be finalised, the Deed Registration Law 2018 has been enacted by the Union Parliament of Myanmar. The salient features under this law are enumerated herein below: (i) The language of the documents filed must be in the Myanmar Language. (ii) Documents […]
New Procedures for Trademark Opposition in Laos
Laos’s new Law on Intellectual Property No.38/NA of November 15, 2017 was published electronically in the Laos official gazette on May 25, 2018, and became effective 15 days subsequent to its publication. This supersedes the previous Law on Intellectual Property No. 01/NA dated December 20, 2011. The new legislation brings reform to a variety of […]
Fintech Patent Applications to be Fast-tracked in Singapore
In line with Singapore’s vision to become a Smart Nation, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has launched a FinTech Fast Track (FTFT) initiative, effective from 26 April 2018 for a period of 12 months, in order to expedite the file-to-grant process for FinTech patent applications for as fast as 6 months. Normally, it […]
Updates to Vietnam Patent and Trademark Procedures
Following on from our previous article on patent updates in Vietnam, this piece serves to summarise the key amendments made to both patent and trademark procedures by the NOIP commencing January 2018. New regulations with regard to patent and trademark procedures in Vietnam came into force on 15th January 2018. These amended regulations aim to […]
Updates to Vietnam Patent Regime
New regulations with regard to patent applications in Vietnam came into force on 15th January 2018. These amended regulations aim to bring the Vietnamese intellectual property system in line with recent developments. Below are three of the main changes based on guidelines laid out in Circular No. 16/2016/TT-BKHCN from the Ministry of Science and Technology, […]
Singapore and China PPH Extension Keeps Up Accelerated and Dynamic Patent Procedure
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) have extended their joint effort for fast and efficient patent protection through the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program. The extension agreement was signed on September 17, 2017 and will be effective until August 31, 2019. Mr. Daren Tang, Chief Executive […]
Brunei’s Patent Examination System to Increase Efficiency Through Agreement with Japan
On August 28, 2017, the Brunei Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO) signed an agreement to introduce a new patent examination initiative – the Patent Prosecution Highway Plus (PPH+) – with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), which will commence on October 1, 2017. Using this PPH+ system, patent prosecution procedures in Brunei are accelerated by allowing BruIPO […]
Myanmar Presents New Trademark Bill
Myanmar has yet to produce its own specific legislation on trademarks. As a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), the nation is expected to deliver its IP laws in the near future to provide protection for trademarks, copyright, patents, and other intellectual property. From August 8-10, 2017, […]