The Parliament of Myanmar has passed the Myanmar Trademark Law on January 30, 2019. Myanmar is making efforts to commence the new Trademark system by replacing the current practice of registration of Trademarks by registration of Deeds of Trademark Ownership Declaration with the Office of the
Registration of Deeds.
The trademark system will recognize existing trademark registrations, for that the IPO
of Myanmar will commence a “soft-opening” period starting from January
2020 for these existing trademark registrations to be re-filed within six (06)
months on a first-to-file principle.
Fresh Trademark Applications can only be filed after above period is over i.e. tentatively July 1, 2020.
There is no bar to secure registration by earlier method till then and therefore it is possible to file new applications under the existing system (as decaration of ownernship) before December 31, 2019 and re-filing the said applications on and after January 1, 2020 to take advantage of first to file rule.
The Trademark Applications shall be processed for formality and substantive examiantion. The requisition as to documents and fee is yet to be finalised.
