Myanmar: A careful approach to change
Our vision is to become an established IP system that promotes innovation and creativity, and acts as a catalyst for our national economy,” says Moe Moe Thwe, deputy director general of Myanmar’s IP department.
Early last year, Myanmar passed a series of long-awaited IP bills, making fundamental changes to the IP framework in the country. In late January, Myanmar’s trademark and industrial design bills were signed into law by Win Myint, the country’s president. This was shortly followed by the patent bill and, a few months later, the copyright bill.
In the coming months, Myanmar will establish an IP office, IP rights registries and specialised IP courts.
A new contender
Despite the seeming flurry of updates, the country is taking a careful approach.
“When we implement the IP laws, we’re not going to do it simultaneously,” says Thwe. “We’ll start with trademark implementation, then industrial designs and copyright, and finally patent and geographical indications.”
With the aim of moulding its own system, the team studied several IP offices, some in the Asian region, and some further afield, including those in the US, Japan and the EU. The Singapore and Thailand IP offices provided the closest matches, in terms of both geography and office conditions.
