14 March, 2020
We issue this bulletin to update on developments to the trademark practice in Myanmar:
- The soft launch of the new electronic trademark registration system has yet to commence. It was previously announced to be ready by January 2020. Although the soft launch of the system remains imminent, we are unable to confirm on the timeline of the launch at this stage without any official announcement from the authorities.
- The draft Trademark Rules, which will cover trademark prosecution under the new Trademark Law, is still under review and discussion. We understand that the Trademark Rules may likely be officially approved and issued well after commencement of the soft launch of the trademark registration system. The timeline for the approval of the Trademark Rules likewise remains uncertain.
- Trademark registration by way of Declarations of Ownership under the current system remains open and available until further notice. We recommend clients to assess their portfolio in Myanmar and consider whether there are any new or unregistered marks that can be registered during this time in order to take advantage of the envisaged early transition provisions during the soft launch.
- For clients having standing instructions for trademark application under the new system, we remain ready for filing at the commencement of the soft launch. We will be issuing updates shortly on how to access the virtual data rooms to monitor the transition of large volume portfolios. We will be issuing the corresponding filing reports in due course.
We are following developments closely and we will issue updates accordingly.
For further information, please contact:
Andy Leck, Principal, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow
andy.leck@bakermckenzie.com
