Myanmar issues first trademark registration certificates under new trademark law
10 December 2024
The first set of trademark certificates of registration for marks filed under the 2019 Trademark Law was released by Myanmar’s Intellectual Property Department (IPD) on December 1, 2024. Since the IPD’s soft opening period began in 2020, this is the first notice about registration.
Now that mark registration is in effect, registered owners will have more robust legal rights. These safeguards include the only authority to stop third parties from using identical or similar marks without authorization, as well as the power to take administrative and enforcement measures.
The “first-to-file” method that Myanmar has implemented highlights the need for early registration even more. In contrast to later applications for identical or confusingly similar marks, early registered marks will have a stronger position.
Owners who submit their applications using the IPD’s online filing system get certificates of registration from the IPD in an electronic format. Physical certificates of registration will be issued by the IPD to candidates who submitted their marks through paper applications.
A mark’s initial registration term is 10 years from the filing date and is renewable for further 10-year periods. Through its official website, the IPD makes the data of marks registered under Myanmar’s trademark law publicly available.
A significant advancement in Myanmar’s intellectual property protection has been made with the IPD’s granting of mark registrations under the 2019 Trademark Law. It reaffirms Myanmar’s commitment to harmonizing its practices and strengthens legal protections for mark owners and other approved individuals.
- Excel V. Dyquiangco
