Cambodia adopts single multi-class trademark application system
06 September 2023
On August 1, 2023, Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce’s Intellectual Property Department issued Announcement No. 2501 for trademark applicants.
The announcement made it known that trademark applicants are now required to file a single application for one or multiple classes of goods and services in accordance with Article 10 of the sub-decree on the Implementation of the Law Concerning Marks, Trade Names and Acts of Unfair Competition.
The objective of the requirement is to lessen the number of documents to be filed and facilitate the trademark registration process in Cambodia.
According to David Haskel, a partner at Abacus IP in Phnom Penh, this is a sensible change to trademark procedures in Cambodia, aligning with international best practice.
“Up until now, applicants could file multiple single-class applications for the same mark. This led to a surplus of paperwork when it came to refusals and registration certificates, for instance. From now on, these must be consolidated in one multi-class application, which streamlines processing at the Trademark Office and hopefully frees up resources to examine applications faster,” he explained.
The order went into effect in August 2023.
- Espie Angelica A. de Leon
