Today marks the entering into force of the Madrid Protocol in Cambodia, probably the most significant trademark-related event in over a decade.
As part of the Madrid system, Cambodian businesses can register trademarks in close to a hundred countries around the world through the local Ministry of Commerce's Department of Intellectual Property. Conversely, foreign brand-owners can register trademarks in
Cambodia through their local trademark office. In most cases, this should significantly reduce the cost and speed up the filing process. Businesses based in Cambodia, considered a least-developed country, pay just 10% of the normal basic filing fee.
To mark the event, the Department of Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (which manages the Madrid system) hosted a seminar on the registration system for Cambodian trademark agents. The sessions covered much of the important nuts-and-bolts of the process, including the forms, fees, and online services. We'll go into some of the more important specifics in upcoming posts.
For more about the Cambodian trademark system, please refer to our Guide to Trademark Law in Cambodia.