Myanmar To Start Full Operations Under Trademark Law With IPD "Grand Opening"

• Law Firm: Tilleke & Gibbins
• Subject Matter: Intellectual Property, Trademark
• Author: Ms Yuwadee Thean-Ngarm and Khin Myo Myo Aye
• Published date: 19 April 2023

The director-general of Myanmar's Intellectual Property Department (IPD) has written a newspaper article stating that the country's trademark registration will come into full effect with the "grand opening" of the IPD on April 26, 2023. This announcement comes days after the IPD issued the Trademark Rules and other related notifications in conjunction with the Trademark Law coming into force.

While an official notification confirming the date is still pending, the anticipated grand opening means that as of April 26, marks filed during the IPD's current "soft opening" period'and for which all fees have been fully paid'will be officially accorded the first filing date, which is the date of the IPD's grand opening. Accordingly, mark owners who submitted marks during the soft opening period need to pay the official filing fees before April 26 in order to secure the earliest possible filing date...