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Laos Improving IP Law Regulations in Advance of WTO Membership
30 November 2012
Laos is working to quickly develop regulations under its intellectual property laws, in part to satisfy demands by the United States that the country improve enforcement of IP laws before joining the World Trade Organization later this year.
“We are speeding up the development of the regulations to make the Law on Intellectual Property clearer,” Intellectual Property Department director general Sitha Phouyavong told the Vientiane Time newspaper.
The amended Law on Intellectual Property was approved by the National Assembly in 2011; the law was promulgated in early 2012.
Even though the US voted for the country to become a member of the WTO, it has also demanded Laos make its IP laws clearer and easier to enforce.
Traditionally, the newspaper said, Lao laws which are promulgated will not be effectively enforced until the Prime Minister issues a decree, which provides officials with guidelines on how to put the law into practice. Currently, some of the articles are too general for the officials to make definitive decisions in relation to the law.
Sitha said that the department officials were working very hard to set up regulations to more clearly define articles of the law, as it is one of the main obligations Laos has before it can become a WTO member at the end of this year.
“Where we are now is that our house building has been done but there are a few little bits of work still remaining to be completed,” International Trade Policy Department director general Bounsom Phommavihane told the newspaper.
Bounsom told reporters that the government doesn’t expect to face any serious obstacles on the road to becoming a WTO member.
