Invention patents granted by the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) will be allowed to directly register in Cambodia and receive protection, according to a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries. The MOU, signed during a recent delegation of the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts to SIPO, is a significant step in the expansion of patent rights and cooperation between the two countries. The agreement also states that SIPO will provide the Cambodian authorities with services for searching and evaluation of applications, as well as deepening human resource development and experience exchanges. The registration of Chinese patents will require enabling regulations to be enacted before re-registration is available.
This follows on similar patent cooperation arrangements with the European Union, Singapore and Japan.
For more about patents in Cambodia, please refer to our Guide to Patent Law in Cambodia