Pursuant to our recent article about the introduction of a new trade mark law in Myanmar, we have just been advised that the “soft opening period” will begin on 1st October 2020. The soft opening period will last 6 months, during which the IPO will accept applications for trade marks which have been recorded at the Registry of Deeds under the current system of trade mark protection in Myanmar. All applications filed in the soft opening period will receive a filing date of the date on which the...

Myanmar does not currently have any IP Laws. IP rights are protected by the filing of a Declaration of Ownership with the Registry of Deeds, and the publication of a Cautionary Notice in a local newspaper, in order to alert third parties to the existence of an IP right.   On 30th January 2019, a new trade mark law was passed by the Myanmar Parliament. It will enter into force after an Intellectual Property Office is established, which was originally expected to happen in January 2020....

The revised IP Law of OAPI known as the Bangui Accord has yet to enter into force, as it requires ratification by 12 member states before it can be promulgated. However, 11 member states have now signed, and it is hoped that a 12th member state will ratify it soon. The law will officially enter into force 2 months after the 12th ratification, but we are advised that many of the provisions of the new law will come into force on a piecemeal basis; for example, OAPI has stated that the provisions...